How to Remove Bald-Faced Hornets

Things You'll Need

Protective clothing
Paper face mask
Ladder
Flashlight
2 cans Wasp-Freeze
Drione dust

Bald-faced hornet queens build a new nest every spring.

Only a female bald-faced hornet has the ability to sting and she can sting repeatedly injecting a venom with every puncture. Although bald-faced hornets, also called a white-faced hornet, only sting to protect their nest, this can become a serious issue if the nest is near your home or someone in your family has a life-threatening allergy to insect venom. Removal of the nest is the best preventative action, and this is often difficult because bald-faced hornets may build their nests up to 40 feet in the air. Nest removal is safer at night when bald-faced hornets are sleeping.

Step 1

Cover your entire body with protective clothing. If you have access to a beekeeper's hat or a hat with a mesh veil, this will protect your face and neck from bald-face hornet stings. Put your face mask on to avoid inhaling the pesticide spray.

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Step 2

Wait until night before approaching the nest. Bald-faced hornets are extremely defensive of their nest and will sting anyone who approaches it during the day. At night all bald-faced hornets return to their nest and sleep. Not only will you exterminate the entire hive of bald-faced hornets, but it will be less likely that you'll be stung when the hornets are sleeping.

Step 3

Approach the nest. Try to get within 10 to 15 feet of the nest. Because bald-faced hornet nests are often built high in the trees, you may need a ladder to get close enough to destroy the nest.

Step 4

Bald-faced hornet nests are made from spittle and masticated wood.

Use your flashlight to locate the opening of the nest. A bald-faced hornet's nest has a round hole towards the bottom the hornets use to enter and leave the nest.

Step 5

Spray both cans of wasp freeze directly into the entrance hole of the bald-faced hornet nest. The force of the spray may knock the nest onto the ground. It is possible some hornets will escape, but if they fly through the poison covered entrance they will die soon. Continue spraying into the nest's entrance and saturate the entire nest until both cans of wasp freeze are empty.

Step 6

Cover the bald-faced hornet nest with drione dust for safe measure. After 24 to 48 hours all of the bald-faced hornets will be dead and you may dispose of the nest.

Warning

If you are stung by a bald-faced hornet and experience a reaction call for medical immediately.

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