GOSHEN, Ind. — During the latter part of September, I get calls from concerned people about hornet nests they have discovered on their property. These nests can seemingly appear overnight, and can be quite disturbing to those who fear insects.
The culprit is the baldfaced hornet, known for making large, somewhat football shaped grey paper nests, some of which can exceed 20 inches in height and 18 inches across by late fall. These nests are often located in trees or shrubs, but are sometimes built under the eaves of homes or other manmade structures. A nest may contain 100 to 400 workers.
One of the baldfaced hornet’s favorite foods is yellowjackets! Some hornet nests are so full of yellowjacket remains that the interior has a yellow cast to it. As the season moves into the fall, the diet of the hornets shifts to more nectar from flowers and other forms of carbohydrates. Several queens will be produced within the colony. They mate with males and leave the nest, finding a protected place like a hollow tree, rock pile or the attic of a home, were they will spend the winter. After the first hard freeze, much of the colony will die because of the sudden loss of food. By winter’s end, the paper nest will be destroyed by the rain, snow and wind of winter.
In the spring, the queens emerge and look for a suitable building spot. They create a small paper nest from weathered wood and their salvia, eventually building a few cells where they lay eggs. The queen feeds these first larva and protects the nest. When the larva mature, they take assume the duty of building the colony, while the queen focuses on producing workers.
Baldfaced hornets are considered a beneficial insect because they reduce the population of many other unwanted insects, and they are a pollinator of many flowers. Therefore unless the nest is located close (within 10 feet) to a building entrance, or in shrubbery near where you mow, the nest can be ignored. However, individuals with known sensitivity to bee or wasp stings should have nests removed by professional pest control companies.
Those with a bit of daredevil in their heart and no medical concerns may wish to kill the misplaced colony by spraying a wasp and hornet spray capable of spraying 20-30 feet. Scout out the entrance holes during the daylight, and spray under the cover of darkness, when they are least active. It is advisable to wear long sleeves, gloves, a hat and goggles to protect yourself from stings or spray dripping on you.
Don’t forget to video these events! You never know when you’ll record something worthy of a $100,000 prize!
— Jeff Burbrink, Extension Educator, Purdue Extension Elkhart County
For more news from Indiana, click here.