Problem with Bald-faced hornets

[shaeff]

They’re one of the worst stings I’ve ever had the displeasure of receiving, and they’re aggressive. Got tagged by one in the temple, felt like I caught a haymaker.

Got tagged on the arm once as a kid, arm swelled to twice the size. The pain is much worse than a yellow jacket or wasp. And they can squirt their venom causing eye watering and temporary blindness, all while continuing their attack on you.

They have no place on my property. I don’t mind yellow jackets or wasps if their nests are away from my house. Bald face hornets I will kill.

 

[ruffdog]

Most times the nest is 20+ feet up in a tree. The only time they are around me is when they are cleaning old wood off of my wood patio furniture. They do a fantastic job keeping the wood clean over the years!

 

[Tinhack]

Do you have any photos?

All the best,

Peter

Not my own but I did find this one. I guess it's called the Mohogany Wasp.

 

[MossRoad]

I just used Raid hornet spray. Killed them quick. Ripped down the nest.

That stuff is scary. If it just touches them down they go. Some kind of nerve agent. Yikes!

 

[joecoin]

I was mowing with my 2 wheel brush hog and had been running into lots of spider webs. Suddenly felt a spider on my face. Then a dozen spiders on my face, that turned out to be hornets. Got stung once on the temple, set a new record for the 100 meters.

 

[ruffdog]

I just found my hornet nest....no wonder my chairs are so clean! This one is about 18 feet up and is a bigger one.

 

[Streetcar]

Are they being aggressive towards you? Or just making you nervous?

I’ve never seen bald faced hornets nest underground. They’ve always made a paper nest up in a tree. We have them around here. They usually become noticeable in the fall when they love to eat over-ripe fruit. I think they get drunk on it.

In all my 60+ years on this planet, I’ve never been stung by one. They are only aggressive if you mess with their nest. That would entail throwing a rock at it, beating it with a stick, or whacking the tree trunk with a club to intentionally get them riled up.

They hate sound of small engines, hit while using push mower

 

[Streetcar]

We had a nest near concession stand for local high school, only found after the leaves fell off tree. They didn’t bother anyone

 

[Carl_NH]

Ruffdog,

Great photo - that's a pigs head nest!

We had that size 12"x18" on the farm growing up we torched. Most of the ones here in NH are max 8" around in the trees.

 

[GeneV]

You know, the problem with bald faced hornets is....they can't grow a beard. Anyways, I don't have these types around here, but regular hornets or wasps got me good last year, surprise attack, 3 stings on my hand. That sucker swelled up bigtime, and I couldn't move some fingers for a while.

 

[JasperFrank]

They don't bother me and I don't bother them. Its all good.

 

[Tinhack]

Great photo - that's a pigs head nest!

Looks like E.T.

 

[JasperFrank]

Its the Ground Wasps that I've gone nuclear on. After buying a bee suit, I just dig them out and eliminate them when found. Its straight forward and you don't have to run a trap and spend the rest that day dealing with them. They get gone. The other bees, and they are not all the same, I leave alone, cause they leave us alone. They are not interested in humans.

Ground Wasps are the exception. They want what you have. And are very aggressive about it, if you want to eat outdoors, or invite guests over, the Ground Wasps will interrupt the party, and just straight out, with out prevarication, start stinging people.

These guys, These Ground Wasps..
I find, and kill the entire under ground nest -with my Super Human bee suit.

Other bees are not aggressive in our areas. I can walk through an entire field of flowers, to my shoulders, full of bees of all kinds, while they are doing bee stuff, and not get stung. They don't care.
Where as the Ground Wasps will sting you if you have water or food around, or disturb them in any way.

Bald Face Hornets sometimes raid on Ground Wasps for food. So we are on the same side.

 

[Erik M]

The bald faced wasps will only live above ground, in a tree or an old building or under the eaves of a building. Much more aggressive than yellow jackets and a much more painful sting, just took a nest out in a cherry tree I mow under while it was only grapefruit sized, wasn’t going to wait until it got larger.

 

[CalG]

I just took out a bald face hive last week. The paper ball nest was in the Rhododendron next to the peach tree, just off the front patio. Too close to our normal coming and going for my wife. With the ripening peaches needing picked, it was going to be an issue.

I had to make a special trip into the hardware store to get the spray. (On sale, $2.50 a can ;-)

Waited till the darker part of dusk. Had the wife shine the flashlight through the kitchen window. (She being safe inside behind the screens and glass!) I dressed in the bee /bug netted hat, winter coveralls (It was hot in there!) Gloves and tight fitting ankles. I walked right up to the hole (about 7 feet above ground level) and let have with the spray . NOTHING CAME OUT! I went around to the back side and doused the nest good. Still nothing. So I went indoors and took off the gear. A few of the wasps came to the screens on the lighted kitchen windows. To be expected from those late to return to the hive. All was quiet the next day.. nothing since.

I hated to do it really. They do provide welcome insect pest abatement. But they also crave the sweet peaches, and that makes picking a risk. If they make their homes far enough away, I'm fine.

Now the damn ground dwelling yellow jackets... I'll hunt those B..s..urds out and burn 'em with fire ...;-)

ETA

Both the bald face and the yellow jackets pattern on the "smell" of the adversary when it gets to be "stinging time".

So if you are the one identified, the fellow next to you gets a free pass.

The first one wakes 'em up, the second one gets 'em riled. The third one gets the stings!

(I've got a tale to tell on this theme, but it needs to wait for a better time....;-)

 

[ruffdog]

The neighbor lady likes to find these hornet nests as soon as all the residents die for the year. She carefully clips them down and stores it for a year (just in case). Then she displays it on her porch. They are quite amazing and pretty up close.

 

[Diggin It]

^^^ I read somewhere that some school science classes will take them to cut open and study.

 

[kubota4me]

Apparently, they don't like the hotter climates. I haven't seen any of those, but I have seen a large bumblebee type wasp. It was mostly all white. The head looked all white. It attacked my tractor muffler and pipe. I guess from the sound. It was tenacious to the point of killing itself from the heat. I'm glad it didn't notice me sitting in the seat.

Besides Yellowjackets and killer bees, we have HUGE orange wasps down here. They make the Yellowjackets look like fruit flies. I exterminate all wasp nests I find and even go looking for them near the house, sheds and barn. They are nasty critters. There's plenty of room out here so they don't need to share my space.

I’m guessing they may be European hornets you have if they are that big.

 

[Tinhack]

I’m guessing they may be European hornets you have if they are that big.

But these didn't have the predominate yellow stripes. I looked at many pictures of various wasps and hornets. The closest I found was the Mohogany Wasp I show in post #23. They are about the same size at the European Hornet at 1 1/4 - 1 3/8" long. Their nest cells are about 1/4"+ across. Much larger than any Yellow Jacket nest cells.

 

[mapper]

They don't bother me and I don't bother them. Its all good.

View attachment 758593

Those look like paper wasps, usually pretty mellow until you put your hand into the nest hidden under stuff.