They are nasty little dudes!
We had a huge BFH nest in our front yard. I called an exterminator to
handle the honors. I helped them (two guys came out), it was quite the
learning experience.
The guys came at 11 at night. Got a ladder set right under the nest (about
10 feet off the ground). I held the flashlight on the bottom of the nest,
where 3 sentries were standing guard. They didn't move whatsoever due to
the light or our presence. He zapped them with the spray and they dropped.
Immediately, he shoved the nozzle extension into the nest hole and began
saturating the inside of the nest. You could actually hear the buzzing
growing within the nest! He then removed the nozzle from the bottom hole,
and shoved it horizontally into the middle of the nest and began spraying
again. The nest quickly went silent. They cut the small branch and dropped
the nest into a garbage bag.
Glad I called the pro's to handle it.
Bald Faced Hornet
Summary: Bald faced hornets can be very aggressive if their nest is approached. When removing the bald faced hornet nest it is strongly advised to wear protective clothing and to attempt the removal of the nest only at night when the hornets are at rest.
Rebecca B; St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada asks: My pussy willow tree has a wasp or bee nest. The wasps look like yellow jackets, but they are black with white rings. What are they and how can I get rid of them?
Dear Rebecca: You are most likely looking at a Bald Faced Hornet nest. I'm going to assume you want to remove the nest from the willow tree, so here are some tips for your adventure.
Tip number one: Nest removal should only be done at night when the hornets are all tucked in for the night. And, I don't mean you should do it when the sun is about to set. I mean it needs to be total darkness or you are in for a fight.
Tip number two: Make sure you can easily reach the entry hole of the nest. You'll need a can or two of wasp killer such as Wasp Freeze, which you can purchase from most hardware stores. Wasp Freeze shoots a steady stream of "knock down" insecticide from more than fifteen feet away from your target. Have both cans ready to go. You don't want to run short and have to run around searching for the second can.
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Turn a flashlight on the nest and you will see a couple of "guard" hornets. Thoroughly shoot the outside of the nest then immediately start shooting directly into the entry hole. You'll have to move in pretty close to the nest to really get the Wasp Freeze to saturate. By this time your heart should really be pumping.
Tip number three: Don't stand there looking at your handiwork. Turn off your flashlight and run for cover. Don't come back until the next morning to see if the nest still has activity. Even if you don't see anything, shoot the nest again. New hornets could have hatched overnight.
Once you have confirmed that the nest is inactive you can cut down the branch and put it into a plastic garbage bag for disposal.
Pest control professionals will do these types of jobs wearing full bee suits that can be purchased on the web for about seventy dollars. It is definitely the safe way to do this.
Tip number four: Ignore everything you learned in tips one through three and pick up your phone and call a professional to do the job.
Comments
Rich
26 May 2009, 00:03
26 May 2009, 00:03
Krista
27 Jun 2009, 22:44
27 Jun 2009, 22:44
My husband and I were helping a friend remove some old branches from the
back of his garage today. The area I was working on was sparsely covered in
some sort of a tall grass. Since it was easy to pull out by the roots, I
started doing so - until I got stung on my leg over and over again. I got
inside the house, treated the stings and waited for activity to calm down.
After about half an hour, I decided to try agin. Big mistake! This time I
was stung at least 9 times on my arm and another time on my leg. They
chased me all through the yard and into the front yard. My husband ended
up with 3 stings just below his eye and he was at least 20 feet from the
nest!
Here's the thing...he got a better look at the hateful little things than I did, but we agree that they looked more like the bald-faced hornet than a regular yellow jacket. However, it appears that the nest is underground with the entrance under some grass clippings. Is this possible? I'm still trying to convince my friend to just get an exterminator because either one sounds like a real pain to get rid of!
Here's the thing...he got a better look at the hateful little things than I did, but we agree that they looked more like the bald-faced hornet than a regular yellow jacket. However, it appears that the nest is underground with the entrance under some grass clippings. Is this possible? I'm still trying to convince my friend to just get an exterminator because either one sounds like a real pain to get rid of!
jolie fitchett
09 Aug 2009, 23:25
09 Aug 2009, 23:25
We have baldfaced hornets inside the trunk and branch of our willow tree.
They are inside;the tree. What can we do? There is no nest in site just
lots of bees and you can see where the go into the tree itself. Any tips or
help appreciated. thanks jolie
Got Hornets in NY
02 Oct 2009, 03:03
02 Oct 2009, 03:03
I have to kill them fairly frequently, and have developed a good method (so
far). It takes two people, each with a can of long-distance hornet spray
to do it safely. Wait til night, one person stands to each side of the
nest (way far away), and you put a very bright light between them facing
the nest. Start spraying like crazy and continue until the nest is
saturated. If any hornets get out they will attack the light, not you.
Anyway, works well for NY hornets :).
anotherjustin
05 Oct 2009, 17:44
05 Oct 2009, 17:44
I'm hiding out at this very moment from those guys. They have a basketball
sized nest about ten feet from my front door. I've left them alone all
summer, since they weren't bothering us, but I was doing some work out
there this morning and dropped something, when they all started that
swarming thing. We have this pinwheel thingy close to where they built the
nest and the wind was blowing, so luckily the hundred or so that came out
assumed that was what was attacking and went after it with gusto. Then my
dogs decided to see what all the (literal) buzz was about. That's when
things got hairy. The attention was shifted to my three dogs and you can
guess what happened. I ran through the fray into my front door and the dogs
were right behind, not to mention a few of those little angry things. The
dogs got a few stings, but I escaped injury. Better them than me. A can of
Raid straight into the entrance and then all over the outside of the nest
seemed to put them in their place. I guess after reading this I should have
waited until dark, but I suppose I got lucky. Good luck to anyone else, and
be careful.
Larry Hill
07 Aug 2010, 09:45
07 Aug 2010, 09:45
I want to know, if these bold face hornets are friendly?
And to they leave you alone if you leave them alone?
I understand that if I don't swing or try to hurt them, they will leave me alone. And I saw them stinging FLIES.
Are flies there favorit food?
P.S. Please reply when you red this message and thank you.
And to they leave you alone if you leave them alone?
I understand that if I don't swing or try to hurt them, they will leave me alone. And I saw them stinging FLIES.
Are flies there favorit food?
P.S. Please reply when you red this message and thank you.
Ask the Exterminator
07 Aug 2010, 15:25
07 Aug 2010, 15:25
As long as you don't pose a threat to their nest they won't hurt you. Get
too close to the nest and you'll find them to be very aggressive.
Lots of different insects make up their diet.
Lots of different insects make up their diet.
Bailey Parsons
17 Aug 2010, 21:05
17 Aug 2010, 21:05
I was feeding our horses in the barn this morning and saw what I think are
bald faced hornets around my tack room at the front of the barn. There were
2 of them. I continued with the mornining chores and was sweeping the isle
when one came really close to me. They seemed to be coming after me!!!
There are no trees really nerby ( the closest is at least 30ft away ). What
should I do if I cannot find there nest? Will they go after the horses?
Ask the Exterminator
18 Aug 2010, 12:44
18 Aug 2010, 12:44
Generally, they are just curious. They don't get aggressive unless you
approach their nests.
Em-u-Lah
13 Sep 2010, 20:35
13 Sep 2010, 20:35
CURIOUS?
Those things are VISCOUS.
Went to one of my friends summer homes, and she warned me about "A couple 'o wasps, teh won't bother yeh if yeh don't bother them." MY FOOT! I got within twenty feet of their nest, and a bunch of them flew out at me! I was stung twice in the leg! I have absolutely NO IDEA how she manages to get out of her front door. NO IDEA.
She must be wasp-whisperer or something. I just don't know.
Those things are VISCOUS.
Went to one of my friends summer homes, and she warned me about "A couple 'o wasps, teh won't bother yeh if yeh don't bother them." MY FOOT! I got within twenty feet of their nest, and a bunch of them flew out at me! I was stung twice in the leg! I have absolutely NO IDEA how she manages to get out of her front door. NO IDEA.
She must be wasp-whisperer or something. I just don't know.
Fred
07 Aug 2011, 15:34
07 Aug 2011, 15:34
Great explanations and advice, THX! We just found a BFH nest in our large
maple, at abt 5' from the end of a branch about 30-35 ft up from lawn and
about 25 ft out from the house and deck. So far it looks to be about 8' or
so in diameter and obviously active; however, we have not encountered any
BFHs around the yard our house. We have PLENTY of yellow jackets or paper
wasps along with their multi-celled nests that we seem to constantly
encounter around the yard and garden, but have not seen a BF all summer
yet.
You you recommend removal of this or leaving it unless we start seeing the hornets in the yard/deck area? My concerns: 1) it is difficult to get to, 2) but the nest is only going to get much larger, and 3) but the hornets are beneficial, in so far as they don't directly bother us. THX!
You you recommend removal of this or leaving it unless we start seeing the hornets in the yard/deck area? My concerns: 1) it is difficult to get to, 2) but the nest is only going to get much larger, and 3) but the hornets are beneficial, in so far as they don't directly bother us. THX!
Ask the Exterminator
07 Aug 2011, 21:11
07 Aug 2011, 21:11
If the nest is not hindering your entry to your home or use of your yard,
leave it alone. The nest will die as cold weather returns. Only the queens
survive and they leave the nest to find a warm place to sit out the winter.
They never return to the old nest. You can take it down when wasp activity
stops.
Carmen
28 Oct 2011, 14:48
28 Oct 2011, 14:48
Hello !!
I found one largely size nest near my island in the front yard. Hanging off my Japense Bush! So I havent seen any activity around it or near it. Is it possible its a good time to hit it with a shovel and run??? Then check it out tomorrow to dispose of it?
Thanks in advance!
Anxiously waiting ..... :)
I found one largely size nest near my island in the front yard. Hanging off my Japense Bush! So I havent seen any activity around it or near it. Is it possible its a good time to hit it with a shovel and run??? Then check it out tomorrow to dispose of it?
Thanks in advance!
Anxiously waiting ..... :)
Ask the Exterminator
28 Oct 2011, 14:52
28 Oct 2011, 14:52
If you cannot see any activity at the opening of the wasp nest, it is most
likely a dead nest. Just be sure before you give it a hit.
Carmen
28 Oct 2011, 14:57
28 Oct 2011, 14:57
Great!!! I been watching it for a few days and no activity!!
Woohoo! Thanks exterminator!!!!
Woohoo! Thanks exterminator!!!!
