As regards wasp trapping:

    Heptyl butyrate is a common attractant in commercial wasp traps, but
it is quite expensive.  It can be obtained from Pfaltz & Bauer as Item
No. HO1890 — purveyors of "rare and fine chemicals."   That chemical
(what I use) is a powerful attractant in very small doses for Vespula
pensylvanica.

    A very recent three-page publication in J. Econ. Entomol. 98(3):
664-666 (2005) has an article that indicates inexpensive citrus-based
soft drink products work well as wasp attractants.   Here is the
abstract:

ABSTRACT Two citrus-based sodas and a known wasp attractant were
compared in a field trial to assess their attractiveness to local
nuisance wasp species. The wasps captured included Vespula germanica
(F.), Vespula maculifrons (Buysson), Vespula vulgaris (L.), Vespula
flavopilosa Jacobson, Vespula squamosa (Drury), Dolichovespula maculata
(L.), Polistes fuscatus (L.), Polistes metricus Say, and Polistes
dominulus (Christ). Wasps in the genus Vespula were present in
significantly higher numbers in traps than Dolichovespula and Polistes.
Both citrus soda products were superior to the isobutanol-acetic acid
mixture as attractants for almost all of the wasp species.

    I have the complete paper as a file and can send it as an attachment
to anyone interested.

                                                                                                Adrian

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