Nineteen compounds were evaluated in combination with a solution ofacetic acid as baits for trapping the German yellowjacket,Vespula germanica (F.), the western yellowjacketVespula pensylvanica (Saussure), and the golden paper waspPolistes aurifer Saussure. Compounds with three to sixcarbon chains or branched chains and with a hydroxy functional groupwere selected for testing based on their similarity to isobutanol. Theywere compared with isobutanol with acetic acid, which is a known waspattractant. None of the compounds tested were superior to isobutanolwhen presented with acetic acid as a lure for these species of wasps.However, traps baited with either the S-(−)- or the racemic mixture of2-methyl-1-butanol in combination with acetic acid captured similarnumbers of both species of yellowjackets, compared with isobutanol withacetic acid. Polistes aurifer responded strongly to theS-(−)-enantiomer and to the racemic mixture of 2-methyl-1-butanol withacetic acid and not to the R-( )-enantiomer with acetic acid.