Help identifying bee like hive.

[NotactJack]

The hive is a little smaller then a basketball. It has the hexagon pattern. The "bees" are very small almost fly like. They have very thin alternating black and yellow bands on there rear section.

[Moots]

I have no idea....Location?

[bassman1977]

Looks like a paper wasp nest.

[bassman1977]

http://www.sutter-yubamvcd.org/Images/Wasp_Information_Paperwasp.jpg

Sure looks like what you have there.

[Michael Bush]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bald-faced_hornet

[Kathyp]

yup.  nothing bee-like about those critters :-)  those are a little smaller than what we have here, but the nest is the same.

we wait until dark and drop them into buckets of water, then slam the lid on.  they are multi layered so spraying them is almost impossible. 

[cklspencer]

I just lite them on fire, poof and they are gone. It's kinda like magic but with little insect screams.

[NotactJack]

This is in Laredo Texas. Almost the most southern part of the state. Too bad the guy who owns the property saw me coming out of the post office with the bees and asked to watch me install them. He called me a few weeks later and was real excited about the bees he already had. I didn't think they were bees but maybe a close cousin or something. He has started a pretty neat hydroponic system with tomatoes. He owns bat caves in Mexico and uses the guano to sell and fertilize his hydroponic garden.
Oh well I have another cut out this weekend if I can find a queen I think I put the hive on his garden.

[duryeafarms]

You're sure they aren't Mexican Honey Wasps?

http://www.texasento.net/Brachygastra.htm

[D Coates]

The insects in the original photo looked too small and didn't have enough yellow to be bald face hornets I'm familiar with.

From what I saw in duryeafarms link, I'd say we've got a winner with Mexican Honey Wasps.  But I've never seen them in person but they look like dead ringers there.

Great link, very interesting read.  I'd never even heard of those.

[NotactJack]

Yep I would say they are the mexican honey wasps