There's a hornet nest right near the backdoor of my house in the garden. it's pretty big. Basketball++ size. Normally I wouldn't care if they were say up in a tree but they're under my roof near the patio and door. I'd like them gone but I hate to just kill them if it can be avoided. Problem is of course I'm not equipped to relocate them. So my options are... Buy some spray and get busy or get some people out to relocate them. That's $150 so not cheap. Any other gardening comrades have thoughts on how to handle?
Try to find out if they're an invasive species in your area. Might take a while of googling and looking at photos of nests or hornets.
If they're invasive, you should kill them. Buy the type of wasp & hornet spray that shoots like 25 feet. They shouldn't be able to locate you. Just blast that foam on em and run, you'll be fine. Just wear long sleeves and pants, no need for anything crazy, and run inside and you'll be fine. Use late in the day as the sun is going down, they won't be as active.
Keep in mind they don't just instantly drop dead like you might expect.
If they aren't invasive you are now a proud hornet mom
Never wanted kids but now I get to be a mother to 5,000 hornets. Nature is beautiful
If you're committed smoking them out and then trying to remove it with a wide scraping tool is probably the only way, but I'd imagine the nest will likely disintegrate since it's basically just dried mud. When I was a kid I watched my dad accidentally cut through a wasp's nest with a electric pruner and then run top speed for the pool as they repeatedly bit him, all I can say is good luck.
When I was a kid I watched my dad accidentally cut through a wasp’s nest with a electric pruner and then run top speed for the pool as they repeatedly bit him, all I can say is good luck.
I'm laughing, but I feel bad about it
Laughing is usually my initial reaction. I was visiting him a few weeks ago and he was trying out a rickety scooter we salvaged from a job, hit a big pile of lumber and did a very gradual somersault that ended with him on the ground. The dog immediately ran over to start licking his face and I managed to get a few pictures before he picked himself up.
Ask a neighbor kid to knock it down with a baseball or a rock and then don't go outside for a few days. I think once they get big enough they're too established to relocate, at least without paying someone else to do it, and bigger than basketball sounds like it's way too big
My brother did this when he was a kid, threw a large stick at a massive nest, pierced it and knocked it down, in their neighborhood. Whole block of apartments literally had to go on lockdown, like officials involved telling people to stay indoors, for a few days while the city dealt with it lmao.
There's always more wasps than you think in those nests
My dad accidentally cut a nest almost done the middle when I was a kid and they were fucking pissed. Once they left we got a sweet item to bring to show and tell at school though.
plausible deniability, the hornets won't know the neighbor kid is your shooter
Look up beekeeping YouTube. Might be some useful tips. Smoke might pacify them enough to relocate.
I'm have actual professional pest control experience (owned my own business, still do it on the side) and I'd love to help. Can you take a good pic of the nest for me? The species of wasp/hornet will determine my recommendations. And can you tell me what color they are?
As the others pointed out, those are your standard yellowjacket. As far as stinging insects go, those can be a little spicy if you mess with them in the afternoon. There are a bunch of different products you can use to get rid of them.
Hardware store method: Wait until it's dark or early morning, and spray the entrance of the hive with wasp killer from the hardware store. They are pretty docile when it's dark out, especially if it's below 70f. So they shouldn't even acknowledge that your spraying them. But you still should keep your distance.
If you poison the entrance, they'll be exposed to it as they come and go for the next few days. You can reapply every night if you want. After a few days, go watch the nest for a few minutes during the afternoon. Most of them should be dead, and the hive should be a lot less active. If the nest seems like it's mostly dead, you can start knocking it down and removing it. You should probably still do this when it's dark.
The other option is to use something like CB80 to fog the nest for some instant gratification. The only problem with that option is that it's best done with a "can on a pole" adapter and an extension pole. That's how I deal with them, but I already have the pole and can adapter.
To be honest, an extension pole and can adapter are useful tools to have around. I think I spent $50-70 total for both, and I use it pretty regularly to take care of wasps at my house, and my friends/family. It gives you all the breathing room you need, and the can keeps them focused on the other end of the pole. So they mostly ignore you.
Sweet thanks for the suggestions. I figure I'll just do hardware store option since these nests (yes Ive spotted another much smaller one in the same area) are close to the ground. The can on a stick seems useful though may get/make one for future needs
The biggest tip is to do it at night/early morning. They are so much more docile when they're asleep. Especially if it's a cool night. All insects are cold blooded, and flying takes a lot of energy. Under 60 degrees, they act like they're drunk and can barely fly.
When I did pest control, I always scheduled the wasps and hornets as early in the morning as the customer would let me.
Looks like it'll be below 70 between about 11pm and 6am here so that's the plan
:pepe-silvia: Just put them in a cardboard box and write a big H on the box
