When preying on honey bees, hornets hover outside hive entrances, waiting for tired bees to return from their foraging trips.

These variegated, collaged-looking nests — fetching up to $250 each — are a recent fixation in interior design.

A fear of wasps is relatively common among many. If it’s not the anticipatory buzz of nearby wings that gets you, it’s the thought of the giant stinger they wield. But what about their size? Compared ...