Paper Lanterns Deter Hornets

Paper Lanterns Deter Hornets We’ve seen several online posts about people using inexpensive paper lanterns to keep their yard and outdoor areas free of hornets and wasps. The hanging lanterns resemble a nest, which may deter them from building one. Wasps are territorial and often retreat at the sight of an enemy nest. By mimicking the size, shape and color of an enemy nest, the hanging lanterns may deter wasps from building a nest. Hang at the edge of the house from the rooftop, or near your garbage cans, where food can attract wasps. Next to any standing water is also a good idea if there are any pools or ponds, as wasps (hornets, yellow jackets and bees) like water. Decoys should be hung in early spring, when the queen wasp is scouting for a place to start her colony. Decoys should be placed only where there are no active nests, because wasps are aggressive when anything comes near their nest. A pack of four hanging wasp-nest decoys is available on Amazon for about $14. Each decoy measures 8 1/2 in. in diameter and 11 in. in height. Some people have had success using a brown paper lunch bag filled with plastic shopping bags, crushed to the size and shape of a nest, and hung as an inexpensive alternative to buying paper lanterns.

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