Bald Faced Hornets

Started by BlueBee, August 26, 2014, 12:40:59 AM

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BlueBee

What are beeks favorite ways for killing off basketball sized nests of bald faced hornets that don't involve guns or fire? 

I was out mowing this weekend and got stung about a half dozen times after mowing too close to a bush.  Turns out there was a big basketball sized hornet's nest in the bush. 

So I did a search on here and watched some Youtube videos and decided I would try spraying some foam into the nest entrance after dark.  Boy were those buggers buzzing in there after I filled the bottom entrance with foam.  However my first attempt was not totally successful.  Gravity seemed to be working against me.  The foam eventually fell out of the bottom without getting to the hornets at the top of the nest.  So I'm thinking of poking a hole in the top of the nest and pumping foam in from the top to finish the job.  Good idea, bad idea, is there a better way?  At least I didn't get stung while spraying the nest with foam.     

Steel Tiger

 A few years ago, my dogs found a football sized nest in a bush. Luckily it was drizzling and most of the hornets where home. I emptied an entire can of raid on them. I completely soaked the nest.
I checked the next morning and there was no signs of life.
I know some people will blast the nest with a hose while dripping dish soap into the stream of water.

Nasty, nasty insects.

tefer2

#2
Heavy duty garbage bag with gas soaked shop rag in the bottom.
Enclose nest with bag, pull down, tie off and throw away.
Must be done when dark to get everybody.
The fumes work fairly quick, never look inside to see what happened.

Intheswamp

Quote from: BlueBee on August 26, 2014, 12:40:59 AM
I was out mowing this weekend and got stung about a half dozen times after mowing too close to a bush.  Turns out there was a big basketball sized hornet's nest in the bush. 

As much "Bush" bashing as you've done you should've known better than to get too close to one.   :evil:
www.beeweather.com 
American blood spilled to protect the freedom and peace of people all over the world.  320,000 USA casualties in WWI, 1,076,000 USA casualties in WWII, 128,000 USA casualties in the Korean War, 211,000 casualties in the Vietnam "conflict", 57,000 USA casualties in "War on Terror".  Benghazi, Libya, 13 USA casualties. These figures don't include 70,000 MIA.  But, the leaders of one political party of the United States of America continue to make the statement..."What difference does it make?".

"We can't expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism."..."The press is our chief ideological weapon." - Nikita Khrushchev

"Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they wont come to yours." - Yogi Berra

ch.cool

Torch and hornet spray. Did it twice this year, pretty easy. Don't forget your bee jacket.

biggraham610

I like a large garbage bag after dark. Tie it up and shake it good before you give it to your Mother in law.....G....... :pinkelephant:
"The Bees are the Beekeepers"

BeeMaster2

Quote from: Intheswamp on August 26, 2014, 10:05:50 AM
Quote from: BlueBee on August 26, 2014, 12:40:59 AM
I was out mowing this weekend and got stung about a half dozen times after mowing too close to a bush.  Turns out there was a big basketball sized hornet's nest in the bush. 

As much "Bush" bashing as you've done you should've known better than to get too close to one.   :evil:

:lau:
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

BlueBee

Well, I beat that Bush and the hornets.  X:X

At night, I filled the nest up with the hornet spray from your typical hardware store; the foamy stuff.  So the next morning I go out to check on the hornets and something (wild animal?) had gotten into the nest and ate the brood and it seems most of the hornets too.  Now I'm wondering if I ended up poisoning some animal from the insecticide in the foam?  Anybody know how toxic the residue from that foam really is?  Maybe the foam kills primary by plugging up the insects breathing holes, I don't know? 

BeeMaster2

Quote from: BlueBee on September 01, 2014, 04:20:00 AM
Well, I beat that Bush and the hornets.  X:X

At night, I filled the nest up with the hornet spray from your typical hardware store; the foamy stuff.  So the next morning I go out to check on the hornets and something (wild animal?) had gotten into the nest and ate the brood and it seems most of the hornets too.  Now I'm wondering if I ended up poisoning some animal from the insecticide in the foam?  Anybody know how toxic the residue from that foam really is?  Maybe the foam kills primary by plugging up the insects breathing holes, I don't know? 

What is the name of the foamy spray that you used? I have only used the watery type that shoots 12 feet.
I took out 12 paper wasp nests out of my new barn 2 weeks ago in order to work on closing in a workshop area. Still ended up finding another one right next where I was working this past weekend.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Intheswamp

Symptoms of Poisoning with Pyrethroid Compounds
- Irritation of skin and eyes.
- Irritability to sound or touch, abnormal facial sensation, sensation of prickling, tingling or creeping on skin, numbness.
- Headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive salivation, fatigue.
- In severe cases: fluid in the lungs and muscle twitching may develop. Seizures may occur and are more common with more toxic cyano-pyrethroids

N-Octyl Bicycloheptene Dicarboximide

EPA lists as possible carcinogen

www.beeweather.com 
American blood spilled to protect the freedom and peace of people all over the world.  320,000 USA casualties in WWI, 1,076,000 USA casualties in WWII, 128,000 USA casualties in the Korean War, 211,000 casualties in the Vietnam "conflict", 57,000 USA casualties in "War on Terror".  Benghazi, Libya, 13 USA casualties. These figures don't include 70,000 MIA.  But, the leaders of one political party of the United States of America continue to make the statement..."What difference does it make?".

"We can't expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism."..."The press is our chief ideological weapon." - Nikita Khrushchev

"Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they wont come to yours." - Yogi Berra

jayj200

so if your pron in your area to getting wasps hornets and yellow jackets bait them away from the bee yard.
their happy your happy tomorrow

that gas idea could be dangerous

BlueBee

I think I have a queen yellow jacket in a kitchen cabinet trying to over winter!  Saw her motionless on the wood the other day.

Now that the leaves are off the trees, I'm seeing a lot of large yellow jacket nests this year.  Around here, the yellow jackets usually nest in the trees; at least in my experience.  Maybe our mild weather has been good for the yellow jackets too?

jayj200

after a cold spell put one on your desk

haha

GSF

Blue, around here they nest in the ground or a cavity. Mostly hornets in the trees. Your ground subsurface may not get warm enough for an insect. I don't know, just guessing.
When the law no longer protects you from the corrupt, but protects the corrupt from you - then you know your nation is doomed.

BlueBee

I've only ever found 2 yellow jacket nests underground and they weren't very large.  It happens, but most seem to be in the trees here.  Obviously bald faced hornets also make a lot of nests in the trees.  It might be related to the soil temps as you suggest. 

biggraham610

Dont yellow jackets cast multiple queens to lay eggs in the fall and start over every year? I thought I read that somewhere. Here, yellow jackets are always in the ground, and dying rapidly as we had a hard frost last night. G
"The Bees are the Beekeepers"

BeeMaster2

Quote from: BlueBee on November 02, 2014, 01:16:43 PM
I've only ever found 2 yellow jacket nests underground and they weren't very large.  It happens, but most seem to be in the trees here.  Obviously bald faced hornets also make a lot of nests in the trees.  It might be related to the soil temps as you suggest. 
Blue,
Around here, I never find them above ground. We find them the hard way.  :(
About 30 years ago I did read in a news paper article of a huge yellowjacket nest that was in an abandoned house that was almost the size of a couch. City brought in exterminators to get rid of it.

Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

GSF

Jim, A few years ago just south of Wetumpka a friend of mine made the front page. He had some old buildings with some old cars in them.
He pulled the tarp off of a 1950 ford ? (big bubble looking passenger compartment). The entire passenger compartment was a yellow jacket nest. We had had three or so warm winters in a row and they never died off.
When the law no longer protects you from the corrupt, but protects the corrupt from you - then you know your nation is doomed.

BeeMaster2

Quote from: GSF on November 03, 2014, 08:38:37 PM
Jim, A few years ago just south of Wetumpka a friend of mine made the front page. He had some old buildings with some old cars in them.
He pulled the tarp off of a 1950 ford ? (big bubble looking passenger compartment). The entire passenger compartment was a yellow jacket nest. We had had three or so warm winters in a row and they never died off.
Gary,
That is the same thing that happened here. They just never froze completely.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Eric Bosworth

Note that this probably isn't a good idea in dry climates or if they are attached to a building but in a tree my solution is to soak them with raid and then while it is still wet light them on fire. Not recommended if they are attached to your house or if you live where wild fires are a concern.
All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns; that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party. ---Mao Tse Tung

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. ---Benjamin Franklin