OT: Need help identifing - Is this a wasp or hornet nest?

Gilbert in IL. · Oct 14, 2010

This is hanging approximately 25 feet up in a tree, on opposite side of road from our home (20 to 25 yards from porch). This is on neighbors land. My wife is freaking out when it rains, thinking that it will fall, bust open, and we will have angry somethings flying around. Any ideas as to what is inside, and possibly a way to get rid of? Thank you for any help.

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ohiojim · Oct 14, 2010

it's a yellow jacket or hornets nest,..i'd guess it's hornets,...they'll be gone in a while when it starts to frost,..it won't fall, probably been there all summer all ready

bison · Oct 14, 2010

paper wasp,goes under diff names.

camju · Oct 14, 2010

that one doesn't look to used anymore.I have shot them down with shotgun and run like .....After a couple of days the be all gone.

Janicholson · Oct 14, 2010

Bald faced hornet is my best guess. Do not mess with it until it freezes, then remove and burn it.
They are way nasty, territorial and collectively aggressive. Google to see pics of insects, and nests. Jim

toadady · Oct 14, 2010

yup , hornets nest, if you're in a hurry, when it cools down at night (frostynight)climb up on a ladder and place a bag over it, tie bag remove then put in burn pile and light the pile. other wise wait until it's cold all day then remove.

Mark - IN. · Oct 14, 2010

Hornets nest. Turn slowly, then run away as fast as you can for at least a hundred feet, and then maybe some.

I remember a comedy movie where someone was up in the tree to remove such a nest into a garbage can. Whoever it was knocked the nest into the garbage can, then lost his footing on the ladder, the garbage can landing facing up, him into the garbage can head first. I don't remember the outcome, but it was a comedy as I recall, and head first into a hornets nest...

Wait until winter. Just like cutting firewood. When there's snow on the ground, the ticks and hornets are frozen...usually.

Mark

Anonymous-0 · Oct 14, 2010

Hornets and stay away until frost comes. We called them "Paper Makers" Just a local nameing I believe.If the nest is not active and no hornets [ big and black hombres] are flying around especially on a warm bright day the nest probably is empty.The old timers used these nests as porch decorations. Got many a wary look from visitors.

Billy NY · Oct 14, 2010

White faced hornet. They leave a sentry outside, just shake the branch and they will be out in force, instantly. I have one in a paddock right now, where our stallion resides, in an apple tree, one of the biggest I have ever seen. I let it go, though by now or shortly, they'll be gone, though sometimes a few may linger, not sure where the rest go.

I took a pitch fork and just rattled the branch, got some distance, and just watched what they did. Wow, to say the least, what a show of force. You absolutely don't want to be near em if agitated, even slightly. However, you can stand right next to the nest and watch em fly in/out all day, just if something threatens em while you are there, you are done, they are as nasty as nasty gets when it comes to defending themselves. I came face to face with a large nest when clearing brush, about 7 years ago, rotary cutter going, but I did not hit that bush and they never came out, had I not seen em, I just cannot imagine how bad that would have turned out. This one we have now is healthy, make a nice wall hanger. I don't see these very often, which is probably a good thing, they are bug eaters though, so I let em bee LOL !

Dean · Oct 14, 2010

Definitely a hornets nest.

Hornets are not particularily agressive but will attack if threatened, and you will definitely know it if stung.

Wait for cool or cold weather and simply remove it.

Dean

JML755 · Oct 14, 2010

Agree with the others: Wait till it's cold. I've got one area of my acreage that seems to be a favorite place for them. Just found 1 last week when brush hogging an area that got particularly long. Looked over into the brush to the right (would have been my next pass) and saw one about even with my waist. Saw nary a wasp, but I skipped that area. :lol: Will remove it this winter. Last year, I DID have one fall on the mower deck of my DR brush mower when I plowed into some thick brush. A bunch came out as I backed out of the brush with the nest on top of the deck about 4 ft in front of me. When I saw what was going on, I just walked off for awhile till they settled down. Got a LONG branch and knocked it off the deck, waited a few minutes and pulled the mower away. I've chopped a few with the mower without knowing it. Luckily, they must have been old ones because I saw no wasps.

I DID get stung 3 wks ago by a yellow jacket while mowing with the DR. Snuck up behind me and got me on the rear of my thigh. It followed me to the truck, buzzing around my head, me waving my cap. Got the spray out and waited for it to slow down somewhere. Nailed it. Went back and couldn't find a nest (ground or old stump is their nesting place) , despite stomping around in the brush kicking at wood and mounds, can at the ready. Someone told me that soapy water will get them as well. Haven't tried that yet. Too easy to just buy and keep several cans of hornet/wasp killer ready.

glennster · Oct 14, 2010

yup they are bald faced or white faced hornets. here is a link
buzzzzz here

Anonymous-0 · Oct 14, 2010

When it's cold out, go put a plastic bag arround it from a ladder and tie it at the top. Sneak in a bunch of wasp killer and let it set for a few days. Between the wasp killer and no air, they'll be dead. Spray it with hair spray or that stuff you use on chalk drawings and hang as decoration. Make sure you take enough branch with it to make a good hanger.

When you take the bag off of it the first time, be ready to skate just in case.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 14, 2010

I have use a 12ga. shotgun to destroy the nest. I drove up close enough so the spread of shot was about the size of the nest, stuck the gun out the window and fired then rolled up the window. I used 9 shot and it turned the nest to confetti. A bunch of hornets swarmed around where the nest had been for a while but with no nest left to defend or call home they dispersed by the next day.

Phil in Pa · Oct 14, 2010

If you're a bow hunter or know one, shoot a flaming arrow into that during a light rain. Small kerosene rag on a field tip.

Assuming you've worked a deal out with your neighbor considering it's on his land.

I've always been one of those guys that just can't leave them alone. Too tempting.

JD Man 65 · Oct 14, 2010

I had one in my hunting woods last year and found it in October about 10 foot in a small tree and a couple weeks later it vanished. There was no sign of it anywhere. What do you think happened to it. Thanks!

old · Oct 14, 2010

Paper wasp nest. Wait till it is good and cold out and stays that way. Then take it down spray it with bug spray and then coat it with silack (sp) or clear coat and sell it. I have seen them bring well over $200 for one. Oh by the way if you leave them alone they will in fact leave you alone

bison · Oct 14, 2010

I nicked one of these nests while clearing brush with the dozer,i thought i was being pelted with gravel before i realized it where hornets attacking me,I must've been stung 50 times before i had pulled the clutch lever and belted outa there,left the cat running.

I went home hurting like hell,came back later with the shotgun and blew that nest to kingdom come,killed the cat and left,but not before i got an other couple stings.

A couple days later i pushed an old stump out of the way(on the same job as before) and that stump was full of hornets as well,luckely i seen them before they seen me so i had enough time to kill the cat and boot it outa there.They kept pelting that dozer like crazy.
Them things are mean as snakes.

Traditional Farmer · Oct 15, 2010

Can't understand why anyone would destroy a Hornet's nest way up in a tree as they catch flies,mesquitos and the like great asset.

C.R. · Oct 15, 2010

I tried the soapy water trick i had squeaky clean real angry yellow jackets

C.R. · Oct 15, 2010

sometimes you can find people that want the active nest intact UNpoisoned they use the bugs to make antivenom for folks that are allergic

GVSII · Oct 15, 2010

(quoted from post at 18:03:14 10/14/10) I had one in my hunting woods last year and found it in October about 10 foot in a small tree and a couple weeks later it vanished. There was no sign of it anywhere. What do you think happened to it. Thanks!

Racoons ,bears and skunks ( if they can reach them) will all take them down.The only time I mess with the nests is if they are going to interfere with what I'm going to be doing.Then I love to go after them with a slingshot.

JML755 · Oct 15, 2010

(quoted from post at 10:17:25 10/15/10) I tried the soapy water trick i had squeaky clean real angry yellow jackets

Thanks for the feedback. Guess I'll pass on the soapy water treatment and stick with canned spray. I'm just wondering if the guy at work who told me about it was snickering as I walked away.

Aaron Ford · Oct 15, 2010

The tattered look indicates it is probably last years nest but treat with due care. Spray and 12 gauge works best. As far as collecting the nest, I persoanlly wouldn't. In colder weather they clam up inside as they cannot move much less fly. If you bring the nest into the house, they'll wake up. Or hatch... As far as a disappearing nest, ours was torn apart by a racoon. They eat the larvae/eggs/food supply. If the nest is live, kill it at night when the bees are all present. If done in the daytime, the survivors tend to rebuild somewhere real close. As far as the individual agressive bee goes (aug/sept), this happens when the hive order breaks down. The queen dies, chaos ensues, food runs short, and the bees will strike out individually and attack anything that moves. This is my best guess on the subject, anyhow! Aaron

OT: Need help identifing - Is this a wasp or hornet nest?

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