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Danielle Holke is a long-time knitter, first taught by her beloved grandmother as a young girl growing up in Canada. In 2008 she launched KnitHacker, a lively blog and knitting community which has since grown to be a popular presence in contemporary knitting culture, reaching more than a million readers each year. As a marketing professional, Danielle advises and works with a motley squad of artists, yarn bombers, film makers, pattern designers, yarn companies and more. Learn more about her latest book, Knits & Pieces: A Knitting Miscellany.

Lori A Page on May 29, 2020 at 1:19 pm

Thank you for sharing my pattern of the fake hornets nest by l.a.pcrochrtcreations in love seeing where sales are originating from. ?

Similar Alternatives

Paper fake wasp nests are readily available online, and you’ll likely find a variety of styles to choose from. But they aren’t the only types of decoys you’ll find.

Fancier crocheted options are available. You can fill them up to maintain a dome shape and hang them around your property like normal. However, these crocheted alternatives tend to be of more premium quality.

The texture is unique and realistic, leading some to believe that they are more effective at keeping wasps away.

If you prefer something with more tried and true results, you could go for a trap. Traps rely less on the decoy principles that are used with fake wasp nests, and more on luring techniques. The traps contain pheromones that reportedly attract multiple different wasp species.

Fill the trap up with water and hang it up like you would a fake wasp nest. Instead of making these pests turn away, it’ll attract them. The curious wasp can then enter the trap to explore the source of the pheromones.

When they do, they’ll become trapped inside to perish. These traps make it nearly impossible for the wasp to find their way out, leading to a slow demise!

Traps are excellent for ensuring that wasps don’t get the chance to set up a nest. Place a few around in early spring, replace them often, and watch the traps fill up!

Where Should You Hang Them?

If you decide to give fake wasps nests a try, the first thing you’ll have to do is figure out where to place them. Nest decoys are relatively straightforward. The lantern-like design makes them easy to hang from anywhere with a pin or nail.

Your best bet is to look around and note where wasps like to hang out in your yard. If you’ve encountered them before, you might notice that they gravitate to a specific area. That’s the first place you should hang the fake nest!

Wasps love to set up nests in discrete areas that don’t have a ton of traffic. It might be high up out of the way from humans, animals, and other insects.

Look around for overhangs and eaves. Wasps tend to find relatively cool spots with shade and protection from the elements. You might consider placing fake nests around porch overhangs, pergolas, decks, and shed rooflines.

If you buy a multi-pack set of fake wasp nests, place a few of them around those high-traffic areas you want to enjoy with your family. Think of it as having a relatively wide radius. Be strategic, and your setup could deter wasps from entering your hang-out zone.

Do Fake Wasp Nests Work?

Here’s the million-dollar question: do fake wasp nests work? You’ll hear people swear up and down that they work wonders to keep wasps off their property. However, you’ll also encounter folks who say they’re nothing more than a scam!

The reality is that fake wasp nests can be hit or miss. There’s no doubt that some fake wasp nests have served their purpose, but there’s no hard evidence to support that they are consistently effective.

The evidence is anecdotal at best. No peer-reviewed studies of decoy wasp nests exist (which isn’t surprising). That’s not to say that they can’t work. But until researchers clear things up with evidence, it’s hard to say that they work using.

Many of the fake wasp nests you encounter on the market today look pretty good and eerily authentic, but there’s just one problem:

Not all wasp species use the same type of nest.

Traditionally faux nests are shaped like an oval. They have a signature egg-like shape that you see hornets use. But what if you’re not dealing with bald-faced hornets?

Mud daubers don’t use those types of nests. They create tube-like structures on walls and ceilings. And what about paper wasps? These creatures are widespread and create dome-shaped nests with visible cells.

In those cases, the fake hornet nest would be pretty useless. Even the most well-made fake nest won’t serve much purpose if you don’t have hornets invading your property.

But do wasps mind being near other nests? That’s up for debate. There are many instances of separate nests being only a few feet from one another.

In those cases, the colonies coexist without any issues. Seeing two wasp nests in relatively close quarters suggests that the science behind why fake nests work isn’t entirely accurate.

Expert Tip: There’s still a lot to learn about wasps and their unique behavior. While some people might see success with fake wasp nests, there are no guarantees. It’s still worth a shop if you want a simple alternative to wasp control, but don’t be too surprised if those flying pests still come around.,