Hornets Nest

OhioGardener 8/11/2023, 8:29 pm

Not in my SFG, but in a nearby maple tree. Today while mowing grass I bumped into something in the maple tree. When I turned around to look I discovered some unhappy hornets circling me. I quickly moved out of range, and observed them from a distance. Interesting thing is that this hornets nest was not there last week when I mowed. How did they build that so fast?

**sanderson** 8/13/2023, 3:37 am

Holy cow! I'm surprised they didn't go after you, especially since you had a lawn mower going.
I have a few flying around. They normally build some paper nests that my husband knocks down for me.
I haven't seen any nests under the eaves this year. Mine look like this: https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=sv%2BGatrR&id=54E5DA1BD43B4470CF68739727C81A1C10DC4DA9&thid=OIP.sv-GatrRvIOIYEs1m8-kLwHaEK&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F9OJCBGmW_tQ%2Fmaxresdefault.jpg&cdnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fth.bing.com%2Fth%2Fid%2FR.b2ff866adad1bc8388604b359bcfa42f%3Frik%3DqU3cEBwayCeXcw%26pid%3DImgRaw%26r%3D0&exph=720&expw=1280&q=Above+Ground+Yellow+Jacket+Nest&simid=608055417042842231&form=IRPRST&ck=EEF22F525C543F3D5C81868406B5295C&selectedindex=0&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0&vt=0&sim=11

OhioGardener 8/13/2023, 8:08 am

sanderson wrote:Holy cow! I'm surprised they didn't go after you, especially since you had a lawn mower going.

It is surprising how fast that Grasshopper mower can go when it has to! As soon as I hit that thing with my head, and the hornets started after me, we were gone!

**sanderson** 8/14/2023, 3:36 am

**Scorpio Rising** 8/14/2023, 10:30 am

We have those kind, too, sanderson. Just lucky, I guess!

OG, it looks like that nest is newly constructed, because it incorporates some of the maple leaves right into it at the bottom and side!

Growing up, my friend and I were riding bikes, and he took a swat at one of those things in a tree—it was a bad, bad day for him! He got stung like 30-40 times riding full-blast on his bike! Had to go to the ER….never did that again!

OhioGardener 8/14/2023, 4:18 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote:OG, it looks like that nest is newly constructed, because it incorporates some of the maple leaves right into it at the bottom and side!

Yes, that was built within the one week since I last mowed. Don't know how they made that nest so fast, and when I opened it the thing was full of eggs and various stages of young larvae.

Growing up, my friend and I were riding bikes, and he took a swat at one of those things in a tree—it was a bad, bad day for him! He got stung like 30-40 times riding full-blast on his bike! Had to go to the ER….never did that again!

I can't believe how fast they came out when I hit my head on that thing while mowing! I was amazed that I was able to get out of there fast enough that they lost interest in me.

PeakChick 9/5/2023, 10:33 am

Your hornet colony looks just like mine, hanging low from a maple tree bottom branch.
Our lawnmowing guy discovered it a month ago. He's never been stung even though he mowed under it (uses a Grasshopper ZTR also... coincidence?)

Now on cooler mornings, I spray it with hornet spray, and wait a few days, and re-spray.
Now there are only rare hornets coming/going from the hole in the bottom.. soon they will all have been killed, even the ones that hatch out over time.
Then I can cut that branch and put that nest on the burn pile.

Spraying every few days at the nest opening also has gradually killed 2 separate yellowjacket colonies that we had in our landscaping this year, as well. They found gaps in the landscape fabric and dug into the dirt which was pretty dry this year [due to irrigation challenges].

Wishing you a good solution for your Hornet nest.

OhioGardener 9/5/2023, 11:16 am

PeakChick wrote:Wishing you a good solution for your Hornet nest.

At the local hardware store I found some spray cans of "Wasp and Hornet Killer Foaming Spray". The instructions were to spray the nest from 10' to 20' away until the nest was totally covered, and then remove the nest 24 hours later. I sprayed the nest, and left it. The next day there were no hornets anywhere near the nest, so I cut down, put it on the gravel driveway, and used the flame thrower to totally eliminate it. Haven't seen another hornet since. Very Happy

jrkohn 9/5/2023, 11:55 am

I just saw a video of a guy who put a brown paper bag somewhat balled-up (like the shape of a hornet's nest) wedged in a branch near the existing hornet's nest. Because they are territorial, they abandoned the nest in a couple weeks!

**sanderson** 9/8/2023, 8:15 pm

I actually tried a couple of blown-up lunch paper bags, then twisted closed. No hornets that summer. Did it work or was it anecdotal? I would try it again if I saw them starting a nest under the eaves of the patio.

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