Do Fake Wasp Nests Work Really?
Memorial Day marked the first day of the barbecue season, and as schools are closing, summer is finally here. Most folks are looking forward to that outdoor time, enjoying the sun and the fresh air. But, if there’s one little pest that knows how to ruin a summer good time, it’s a wasp.
Honestly, most folks are desperate to keep wasps away and will try a bevy of pest control products to keep them at bay. Fake wasp nests are one of these products, and they promise to keep wasps from building nests wherever they’re hung. But do fake wasp nests work? You might be surprised by what we tell you (here’s a hint: we aren’t recommending anyone put their faith in a fake nest).
What Is a Fake Wasp Nest?
A fake wasp nest is a football-shaped paper product designed to act as a wasp deterrent. The idea is that if homeowners were to hang wasp nest decoys around their property, other wasp colonies will take a hike rather than start their home next to a competing hive.
The question of whether or not hanging wasp nest decoys work takes some digging into, however.
The Wasp Life Cycle
Before we dive too deeply into artificial nests, it’s important to understand the wasp life cycle and how real nests come to be. There are two types of wasps: social wasps and solitary wasps. Solitary wasps like mud daubers are rarely aggressive and, since they don’t live in large colonies, they’re usually not an issue.
It’s the social wasp that poses a threat.
Social Wasp Life Cycle
Social wasps, such as yellow jackets, paper wasps, hornets, and bald-faced hornets live together in large colonies consisting of queen wasps, worker wasps (female wasps with stingers), and drones (males without stingers). Each fall, the queens are chosen, mated, and then leave the nest in search of a warm, dry place to overwinter by themselves.
In the early spring, the queen wasp awakens and searches for a suitable place to start her nest. She’ll begin constructing the nest, giving her a place to lay eggs. These eggs will then hatch and create the first population of worker wasps. At this point, the queen focuses on laying eggs while the worker wasps build the nest and find food.
The nest is built and increases in size over the course of the summer. Then, new queens are chosen, mated, and leave the nest. The old queen wasp stops laying and dies, and the colony begins to die. The following spring, the entire process starts over.
Types of Wasp Nests That Fake Nests Mimic (or Don’t)
Like most animals and insects, there are lots of kinds of wasps (over 30,000 species). And, the species we associate the football-shaped nests with the most are the bald-faced hornet and the paper wasp.
Yellow Jacket Nests
But not all wasp nests are football-shaped and hang from trees (and not all wasps are an issue). Take yellow jackets for example: These aggressive wasps prefer to build their nests in the ground rather than under a covered porch or hanging from a tree branch. As ground-nesting wasps, they don’t typically build paper nests (though they can).
Paper Wasp Nests
And while paper wasps do build paper nests that resemble footballs or umbrellas, these wasps aren’t aggressive. They don’t go out of their way to sting unless seriously threatened, and these pollinators are certainly more beneficial than dangerous (except for folks with allergies to stinging insects).
Bald-faced Hornet Nests
On the other hand, another football-nest-building species is the bald-faced hornet, and these are some nasty neighbors. These wasps sting and attack anyone or anything they feel is threatening their nest, and they don’t usually stop until the intruder has left the area.
Do Fake Wasps Nests Work?
We’ll give you the short answer right upfront: probably not. Fake wasp nests look cool, and they promise a simple, eco-friendly, approach without harsh chemicals to deter wasps and keep a wasp colony from popping up under a deck or eave, but they’re more for show than anything else.
Fake nests, also known as decoy nests, are designed to mimic actual wasp nests. Since wasps are visual creatures and quite territorial, the thought is that neighborhood newcomers will see the artificial wasp nest and keep it moving. But this often isn’t the case, or at least it’s not effective enough to impact backyard wasp populations.
How Do We Know Fake Nests Don’t Work?
We know they don’t work because nature tells us so. There are countless photos online and in books of real wasps’ nests built in close proximity to other nests. This implies that wasps don’t really care all that much about the neighbors when they start the nest-building process. Tempers may flair in the late summer, but while a colony is establishing itself, an existing nest probably won’t deter it.
Most Effective Wasp Repellent Techniques
While we know that a decoy nest might do absolutely nothing to keep hornets, wasps, yellow jackets, and other pests away, there are some techniques that folks can try to keep wasps and other insects with stingers away.
- Seal crack: Be sure to seal any cracks around the exterior of the home. Queen wasps will start checking out these cracks and gaps in spring and, if suitable, build their nests.
- Put up wasp traps: Wasp traps are effective at catching wasps and could prevent adult wasps from making their way back to their nests. These traps can be filled with sugary substances that attract wasps, and once they make their way in, they can’t get out. Check out these traps on Amazon for a better idea.
- Use essential oil and soap solutions: If you have areas that frequently experience stinging insect activities, give the space a spritz with a solution of peppermint, clove, geranium, lemongrass, or citronella mixed with water and a few tablespoons of dish soap. Choose your favorite scent and give the protected area like the eaves or underside of the deck a good dousing.
- Remove food sources: Be sure to remove any potential food sources from around the house. Wasps, hornets, carpenter bees, and other pests like flies will flutter around garbage cans, BBQ grills, and picnic tables. Clean up the food to keep them away from the house and the other humans.
- Use wasp-repellent plants around the property: Whether in pots or planted, certain plants can repel hornets and wasps. Geraniums, citronella, mums, mint, and marigolds are known as popular pest control plants, so stock up at the local nursery. And best yet, they won’t harm beneficial species like bees and butterflies.
- Encourage natural predators: Consider encouraging natural hornet enemies to nest in the yard. Place birdhouses and bird baths in the yard, and plenty of bird feeders. Birds like blue jays, chickadees, starlings, mockingbirds, blackbirds, and magpies are hornet killers and natural pest control technicians. This is an integrated pest management technique and responsible bee pest control.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a fake hornet’s nest keep wasps away?
Fake wasp nests generally don’t work. In nature, multiple wasp nests can be found in the same trees, or within several feet of each other. For that reason, a fake nest won’t stop wasps from starting a new colony.
What is the best deterrent for wasps and hornets?
Geranium, citronella, spearmint, and marigolds are natural pest control plants that homeowners can try to keep wasps and hornets away. Also, encouraging birds to nest nearby with bird baths and birdhouses can introduce natural predators to reduce the wasp population.
