Hornet Nest Removal: How to Get Rid of Hornets’ Nest?

Whether you’re allergic to stinging insects or not, hornets can be a dangerous problem. Hornets are one of the more aggressive members of the wasp family with some of the largest bodies. If hornets form a nest around your residence, they pose a threat to anyone who aggravates their home or individual hornets buzzing around.

Facts, Identification, and Hornet Nest Removal

Hornets are part of the wasp (Vespidae) family and can grow as long as 2.2 inches (or around 5.5 centimeters). Hornets are also “wasp-waisted” and will have a small waist between the abdomen and thorax portions of their bodies. You can easily distinguish the wasp/hornet family from bees by looking for this trait.

Hornets sometimes have black and white coloring, as opposed to black and yellow or orange. There are yellow hornets and European (Vespa crabro L.) hornets, and these species may have different hues, but many hornets you will find in the United States tend to have black and white bodies.

Hornets are also more significant in size than a wasp. The average wasp can only grow up to 1 inch, maximum, but is often smaller. A hornet will typically be between 1.5 inches and 2 inches long.

What Does a Hornets Nest Look Like Most of the Time?

Hornets make a nest that looks like a paper structure. Hornets utilize their saliva along with wood to build this papery substance. Hornets’ nests are typically a pale gray color.

In the earliest stages, the nest will appear as a small hanging object with a honeycomb texture. As the nest grows, it will quickly take on a football or upside-down teardrop shape. Some hornets’ nests can be a bit plump and rounded but will still have a papery look, with the opening at the bottom or low down on one side.

Wasp nests are also a papery structure, but they lack the smoother outer layer that hornets make. Wasp nests will typically show more of the honeycomb structure than hornets.

Hornets build their nests up high, in trees, on telephone poles, and sometimes under the eaves of houses. If you see a nest near the ground, between walls, or underground, it is more likely a yellow jacket structure.

Facts about Hornets

Where Do They Live?

There are several species of hornets, and several live in tropical areas, especially in warmer parts of Asia. You can also find hornets in Africa, Europe, and North America. In the United States, hornets thrive throughout the Deep South, up through the Midwest and Great Lakes region, and along the Atlantic coast.

What Do They Eat?

Hornets are omnivores and feed on tree sap as well as leaves, but they also hunt insects. Hornets will eat other insects, such as bees and flies.

What Attracts Hornets?

Hornets will go after other insects, but sweet human foods can also lure them in, especially in autumn. If you live in a warmer region and have an abundance of insects such as bees, beetles, and dragonflies (or even caterpillars), hornets will likely be in your area.

You can help your home by cleaning up fallen fruit from trees, keeping garbage in tightly closed bins, and even testing out a faux nest deterrent if you want to give one a shot. Avoid leaving rotting food or trash out where hornets can feed on it.

How Do I Remove a Hornets’ Nest?

Hornets’ nests not only are a threat in terms of stinging. The weight of their nests can also cause damage to your home if they build under one of your eaves or anywhere else the weight can pull on the structure of your house.

How to Remove a Hornet’s Nest

Step 1

Before you attempt hornets nest removal, take precautions. Vibration and CO2 can set off hornets and draw them near your face if you talk a lot near their nest. Avoid talking much near a nest.

Step 2

Wear proper protection when investigating and spraying a hornets’ nest or during wasp nest removal. If you can wear a wasp suit, do so, or at least a protective hat with an attached smock. At the minimum, wear long layers, gloves, and if you can, a beekeeper’s hat with netting to protect your face and neck.

Step 3

Never spray a hornet nest during the day when they are most active. Take note of the area and return to it roughly two hours after sundown, when the insects are less active.

Find a hornet spray that can shoot at least 10 feet. The distance is imperative, as you don’t want to be close to the nest while spraying.

Step 4

Follow the instructions on the product you select. Spray thoroughly and then leave the area immediately. Do not take the nest down for at least 24 hours after spraying. Repeat the next night, if possible.

Removing Hornets Nests with Professional Pest Control

If you are allergic to stinging insects, do not attempt to remove a hornets’ nest yourself. Even if you do not have an allergy, a swarm of hornets can be potentially deadly. So, if you lack the proper equipment, you should at least consider hiring a professional in your area if you have the means to do so.

Pest control professionals have the tools to eliminate a hornets’ nest safely and efficiently and can advise you on possible prevention methods in the future. Always use caution when removing a hornest nest.

More Information on Hornets:

https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000532_Rep554.pdf

https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/baldfaced-hornets

https://extension.unh.edu/resource/controlling-wasps-bees-and-hornets-around-your-home-fact-sheet-0

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2001/06/mystery-hornets-nest