the bottom is painted orange mainly so the openings in the sides of the bottom (cut about an inch above the bottom) are more visible, but also to add color as a visual attractant. another bottle is top cut off and stuffed into the bottom creating an upside down funnel, similar to a minnow trap with the small opening pointed up.
bait, which is anything the little nastys seem to like is put in the bottom. they enter through the holes in the lower bottom of the bottle, to get the bait. this is where the black tape comes into play. with the sides taped up, it is darker in there, and they fly up toward the bright when they want to leave. up, up, up, threw the funnel top, into the upper chamber where they are stuck. unless they climb downward through the center of the cut off bottle in the middle, they are stuck.
i will make another one tommorrow and take pictures of the process as i am sure that will be alot easier to understand. it worked great today. yesterday, the hornets were so thick, i couldnt stand still. today, not a one buzzing around. they went straight for the trap and that was that.
i wish i could take credit for thinking it up, but i used an idea my grandfather had and modified it using different materials and design. the concept is the same.