Beware of Bald-faced Hornets!

photo courtesy of Piccolo Namek; wikipedia.org

In the last couple of weeks, some Mid-Georgia Pest Control techs have had the unfortunate experience of multiple stings from bald-faced hornets.  This has occurred on the job as well as off.  They are certainly around this year and will sting if disturbed!

photo courtesy of ento.psu.edu

Although they are called hornets, bald-faced hornets are actually a type of tree-nesting wasp.  They get their name from the white/ivory markings on their face.  Bald-faced hornets can be found throughout North America, but they are very common in the southeastern US.  

In the spring, queens emerge from hibernation and begin building nests for the new colony.  The first batch of eggs become workers to help complete the nest.  Nests are made by chewing up wood which mixes with a starch in the saliva.  This gets spread around and dries into a paper-like substance.  The nests are gray and football shaped, and they may be larger than the diameter of a basketball.  Typical locations for these nest are in trees and shrubs or attached to buildings.

photo courtesy of The High Fin Sperm Whale; wikipedia.org

photo courtesy of Jason Edgecombe; wikipedia.org

If left undisturbed, bald-faced hornets will probably not disturb you.  However, they are extremely protective of their nests and will become very aggressive if disturbed.  Colonies can contain 100-400 members.  If you find a nest near your home, do not try to remove it or kill the inhabitants on your own.  Give us a call at (770)962-4240.  If you find a nest away from the house that can be left alone, all the wasps, except for newly fertilized queens, will die off as winter approaches.  The new queens will hibernate in hollow trees, under logs, or underground until next spring. 

photo courtesy of ento.psu.edu