Hornets & How You Can Get Rid of Them

Hornets can be identified by their size, home and what they eat. Hornets are the bigger bug out of wasps and hornets, with hornets being twice the size of most wasps. Hornets are very similar to yellow jacket wasps although hornets are darker or even a rust color with dark yellow markings.

Hornet identification can also be made by observing their nest and its location.

Hornets tend to build their nest on trees and they are made from paper that they make from wood fibers and their saliva. The hornet’s nest will also have one entrance at the bottom of the nest.

Hornets are less aggressive than most wasps and will not bother people. They are often called gentle giants however get on the wrong side of a hornet and it will give you a nasty sting.

Hornet identification can also be made by what they eat. Hornets will eat other insects for their whole season where wasps will begin to bother people from the middle to the end of their season as they will be searching for sweet things to eat.

Hornets Nest

A hornet’s nest is much like a common wasps nest, made from paper. The paper is a result of the hornet harvesting wood fibers from trees and even wooden furniture. The wood fibers are then chewed and mixed with the hornet’s saliva to create a paper-like material that is used in the construction of the nest. The hornet’s nest will be constructed in places such as a hollow tree, wall cavity, chimney, loft space, eaves of a house, etc.

The hornets may even use the same place year after year but with a new nest being built each time.

The nest will have a single entrance hole at the bottom and will contain many cells for the young to develop in. The nest is first constructed by the queen who will create a few cells, to begin with.

The queen hornet will lay an egg in each cell that will produce an infertile working hornet. Once the working hornet has matured, it will help build and grow the nest as well as gathering food and looking after the young.

Hornet’s Sting

In the UK the Vespa Crabro is called a hornet where in America, they call the European hornets. The hornet’s sting is very painful, more so than a normal wasp but due to the fact that it can inject more venom than a wasp as it is larger.

With the venom being much the same as wasps, if you are allergic to a wasp sting then there is an almost certain chance you will be allergic to a hornet’s sting. Much like bees, a hornet will only sting if they feel threatened, you move to quickly or you get in there way.

The hornet’s actual sting is like a wasp where it is smooth allowing it to enter and withdraw without it breaking of though it can happen. Being able to do this allows the hornet to sting multiple times. The stinger is connected to a sac filled with around 50mg of venom. With each sting, between 10 and 15mg of venom can be injected allowing for around 3 to 5 stings before the venom sac is empty.

Hornet Wasps

A hornet wasp can grow as large as 40mm and look rather menacing. They are in fact rather docile and will only attack to defend themselves and their nest.

While being larger in size, they also have a bigger stinger that has been considered to be no worse than a normal wasps sting. This large stinger of theirs is mainly used for catching their prey consisting of other insects and what we may consider pests.

Their prey is then chewed up and feed to the queen’s larva. Hornet wasps are beneficial as they catch and eat other insects that are pests in the garden who eat vegetables, flowers and plants. Adult hornet wasps have also been seen eating spiders and queens often feed on tree sap and nectar during the time they lay eggs and also before they hibernate for the winter.

Hornet wasps are much like normal wasps but much larger. Hornet wasps are also a chestnut brown color with yellow markings were a wasp is black with yellow markings. The colors are used to warn of predators and to indicate they are poisonous.

Hornet wasps are a very social insect who live together in a nest made from paper. The nest is normally built in the hollow of a tree although they have been found nesting in cavity walls and guttering.

Hornet wasps nest are built much like normal wasps nest, from rotten and normal wood that has been chewed and mixed with saliva. This creates a mouldable pulp that is used in nest building.
The life cycle of a hornet wasp is much like a normal wasp.

The queen hibernates during the winter with most of the other hornet wasps such as the workers dying of. Then at the beginning of the summer, they look for a place to begging building there own nest and start the cycle again.

Eliminating Stinging Insects

There are several ways to deal with problems concerning stinging insects:

• Protect ripe fruit by covering them with muslin, cheesecloth or pantyhose.
• Create a trap for the wasps by placing sugar water in an inverted plastic bottle and hang it from a tree. The wasps will be attracted to the sweet water but will be unable to escape from the bottle.
• A piece of fruit tied to a stick can also serve as a trap. Suspend the stick above a pan of soapy water. When the wasps have eaten their fill, they will drop off into the water and be unable to escape.
• Flypaper sprinkled with granulated sugar can be hung from trees to attract wasps.
• Look out for underground nests created by yellow jackets. These nests often have only one entrance. After sunset, carefully approach the nest and pour a solution of malathion and water into the entrance. Quickly, cover the entrance with dirt. By morning, all inhabitants of the nest should be dead. (You might want to get a companion to help you to ensure speed in covering the entrance.)

Working with Stinging Insects

For all their annoying ways and painful stings, wasps and yellow jackets are heavy predators of many garden pests. They feed on the larvae of flies, ants, caterpillars and beetle grubs. If their nest does not pose a danger to you or your family, you may consider leaving them to help you rid your garden of other unwanted insects.

Some farmers even purchase beneficial wasps. These wasps are smaller than other wasps, do not sting humans and aid farmers by helping eliminate garden pests.

The beneficial wasps lay their eggs on these pests, which are paralyzed and later used to feed developing larvae. Adult wasps feed on the nectar of clover, goldenrod, sunflowers and other such plants.

Avoiding Stings

Wasp stings can be very painful. The stingers do not have barbs, so wasps can sting repeatedly if provoked. Sometimes, they sting with little provocation. You can avoid wasp stings by being conscious of their presence and doing the following:

• Choose morning or evening hours for working in the garden. At these times, wasps are less active.
• Do not leave food or drinks exposed. Make sure garbage cans are closed securely.
• Do not leave ripe fruit on trees or on the ground.
• Do not use perfume or other scented products when working in the garden.
• Do not wear bright clothing (such as yellow or bright blue) when gardening.
• Do not work in the garden with bare feet and wear gloves whenever possible.
• Do not agitate wasps by running, screaming, or hitting at them.
• Use eliminating tips to distract wasps from work areas.

Treating Stings

• A local reaction to wasp stings (redness, pain, itching, swelling) can be addressed with the application of Benidryl or cortisone cream applied to the skin.
• Honey applied to the skin can be soothing.
• A paste made with baking soda and water can be applied directly to the sting.
• Possible allegic reactions (rash, difficulty breathing, tummy ache, or a headache) merits the advice of a doctor or other professional.
• If the sting occurs on the neck or mouth, medical attention should be sought immediately.