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April 17, 2009

time to put out the paper bag wasp nests

Recently Updated1 If you have lots of nooks and crannies in your yard like we do (rotted wood retaining walls, greenhouse with raised floor, firewood piles, I could go on), then you have lots of places that wasps might like to make a nest.
For the past few years we've put up these paper bags and they deter wasps from making a nest in the area (they don't like to make their own too close to another one - and the paper bags look real enough).  My husband makes them with shredded paper in a plastic bag, bunched inside a paper bag - that way they can withstand the elements for a few months.
These still won't keep the wasps from finding your picnic table in the summer, unfortunately...

Posted on April 17, 2009 in Monthly tasks and tips |

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Comments

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keewee

This is a great idea, we have many wasps, so I will try the paper bag wasp nest and see if it works here too.

Posted by: keewee | April 17, 2009 at 07:05 PM

caltran

This doesn't work.

http://www.enjoygardening.com/?p=1295

Posted by: caltran | April 18, 2009 at 03:58 PM

kate

I will have to try this ~ in some years, the wasps are terrible here.

Posted by: kate | April 18, 2009 at 06:49 PM

Janice

Hmmm, thanks for the link caltran! Interesting. As a scientist myself, it is hard to argue with a hard scientific study. Then again, I haven't read the actual study to decide for myself. However, as I mentioned, we have a gazillion places in our old, neglected (but slowly being fixed up!) backyard that have attracted wasps in the past, and anecdotally we have had 100% success with the paper bag nests. Go figure!

Posted by: Janice | April 19, 2009 at 08:03 AM

Janice

Oops, spoke too soon. I just went back to that link from Jim Hole's newsletter, to try to find some more information. I read it too fast last time - it wasn't even a study, just a reference to an entomologist who says wasps aren't territorial and therefore the fake nest strategy doesn't work. Well, with no more information than that, how is one supposed to decide what to believe? I'm sticking to my anecdotal evidence and keeping the paper bag nests!!
Janice

Posted by: Janice | April 20, 2009 at 08:55 AM

caltran

Gee, Dr. Fry co-wrote "Garden Bugs of Alberta".

What studies did you read that proved these paper bags work? Seems more like marketing to me.

Posted by: caltran | April 21, 2009 at 03:39 PM

Clint

Marketing for a brown paper poke and some string....

Posted by: Clint | April 03, 2011 at 10:07 AM

Garden Bags

Wow what a great idea. Im going to try this in my own garden

Posted by: Garden Bags | August 19, 2013 at 06:43 PM

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