There is a huge and steadily growing nest of bald-faced hornets about 28 feet up under the eave of my home. I googled to discover exactly what I am dealing with so I will know how to get rid of it this Fall without getting stung. A regular nest is all gray and flat pieces of paper forming a football shape. My hornet’s nest is the most artistic I’ve ever seen. It is multi-colored and puffy like a hot air balloon. I wish it could float away like a hot air balloon!
closeup of artistic nest from 28 feet away
They look like bald faced hornets, generally not aggressive unless they feel threatened, then look out. (reminds you of other creatures?)
There can be a lot!!! of them in a nest, so if you decide to spray them, I’d suggest being well protected against stinging, or hire a pro. A bunch of the chemical companies make hornet spray, but the practical use distance is about 20′. If you don’t get them all, they get quite mad.
This year I’ve been overwhelmed with yellow jackets (they’re actually hornets), and quite a few bald faced hornets, so I’ve done a bit of research.
Garth
Thanks for the tips, Garth. I will wait until winter or late Fall to hang out from a second story window and knock, scrape, or pull the nest off the soffit. I will use long-handled gardening tools and I should be able to reach it that way safely.
I read that they eat lots of flies and mosquitos so I don’t want to evict them until they die of natural causes. I also learned that in Germany hornets like these are endangered and anyone who removes or damages the nest has to pay a HUGE fine.
Margot – I think Garth is right about hiring a professional. Your plan sounds good intentioned but dangerous. Aren’t you the same nice lady who goes out of her way to not sit on the little frogs? I showed your photo to my husband and he about fell over. Even in the fall they could still be in there. He said when he was a little kid he and some friends knocked down a nest with a rake and the hornets chased and stung them for blocks – they would not stop. Good luck and please be careful!
Kim, thanks for the wise and thoughtful words. I have to admit that your story of your husband’s childhood adventure made me chuckle but getting chased and stung repeatedly by angry hornets is not something that I want to happen to me!
Here’s what I learned: Hornets die or leave the nest in the Fall. Only the fertilized queen overwinters in a rotten stump or under the bark of a tree. In the Spring, she commences to build a new nest and lay her eggs. This one-time nest will be empty in the winter and will never be used by the hornets again.
You are right – I don’t like to kill anything because I am attempting to establish a balance of nature on the farm. The less human interference, the better the balance will be, hopefully. You and Garth convinced me to hire a professional to remove the nest because I don’t like the idea of possibly falling 2 stories. Thank you!
Margot it is beautiful! I use to get freaked out by these nests, but they don’t bother me anymore. They do not re-use them and the natural elements will remove it.