Hornet Nest

[UncleJak]

Speaking as someone who has been stung by hornets: be safe! I thought I had been shot when I took several hits to the stomach. Sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

[chances R]

Wait until dark-thirty, new can of wasp and hornet killer. flashlight in one hand, and spray entrance hole non-stop. Has worked every time for me.

[glock55]

The best way to remove nest is find entrance, spray entrance with the expanding window insulation. After insulation drys sealing hornets inside cut nest, put in car and drive to remote location and dispose of. I'm pretty sure this will work because the insulation seals my windows very well. Good luck

[Peevee]

I threw a rock at one when I was a kid. I couldn't out run them and they hurt like hell, when they sting you.

[enfield]

Don't smack the tree with a walking stick.  I did and my upper lip drooped for 2 weeks.

[Guest Broomhead]

If they were within reach, I use a shop vac. Start vacuum and place the end of the wand an inch or two from the entrance and tie it down. Grab a chair to watch the festivities.

You know you're winning when they are carrying their grubs out of the nest.

When done ... couple hours later, spray a couple shots of wasp killer in the hose.

This is also a great way to get them out of vinyl siding.

Move very slowly when near the nest and they ignore you.

 

I use a Dyson to suck up wasps and such when they get into the house. It's got such strong suction that there's no way for them to even try to fly away, and it's such a maze to get back out of that thing that they die a long, slow painful death of starvation. The key is to move very slowly right up to them till you are right under them. There are very few bugs, that I've encountered, that I'm scared of, something that flies with a stinger (not bees) do scare me. Probably because they are a bitch to step on.

 

Maybe, use the shop vac, secured in place really close to the opening and just let it run for 30-45 minutes. Then when you're satisfied they're all in the vac, remove the hose from the opening while the vac is still running and liberally spray the heck out of the nest through the opening with wasp killer. Then, shut the vac off and quickly spray down the hose with the foaming kind of spray, with the hose as straight as possible and cover the end of the hose with a rubber glove. The next day, remove the glove and quickly turn vac on, shake the hose violently and remove it. Then, quickly shut the vac off and spray more foaming killer into the hose port. If possible, cover it with a glove too. Maybe repeat once or twice and you should be good. It may sound like over kill, but I hate those damn things.

 

Good luck. Oh, and wait for a cool evening/night or morning, they are not active then at those times and are more sluggish when it's cool.

Edited August 16, 2014 by Broomhead

[DaveS]

I just waited until the first frost after the suckers vacated the AO for Florida. Got the nest down and it hangs in my man cave. They make really cool decorations. Hanging above the driveway? Good luck! Don't tear up the nest...folks pay good money for them things!

 

Dave

[Fourtyfive]

I just waited until the first frost after the suckers vacated the AO for Florida. Got the nest down and it hangs in my man cave. They make really cool decorations. Hanging above the driveway? Good luck! Don't tear up the nest...folks pay good money for them things!
 
Dave

I've read about the first frost thing but what about the young'uns inside. Have they already hatched out and flown the coup ?

[owejia]

I've collected several over the years. Would go out either at night or early morning with a large plastic garbage bag and spread over nest and cut the limb it is on and put in chest type deep freezer. Leave for a few days and take out. Spray outside with clear polyurthane and hang up. Have one hanging from the catherial ceiling in my kitchen now.

[UncleJak]

[quote name="owejia" post="1180255" timestamp="1408207072"]I've collected several over the years. Would go out either at night or early morning with a large plastic garbage bag and spread over nest and cut the limb it is on and put in chest type deep freezer. Leave for a few days and take out. Spray outside with clear polyurthane and hang up. Have one hanging from the catherial ceiling in my kitchen now.[/quote]I'd like to see that. Sounds cool. Sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

[Ted S.]

Thermite.

[TrickyNicky]

Thermite.

Yup. This.

[TMF]

My wife just found some kinda new bug spray which electrocutes them on contact. Don't ask me how it works because I don't know, but I used it on a hornet nest two weeks ago and it drops them INSTANTLY, and then they do the kickin chicken for a few seconds.

[NoBanStan]

My wife went to the bring up the garbage can one day and as soon as she touched the handle, a pack of wasps swarmed her. They were all around a pine tree we have, so i figured they were just near the area, so I went to check it out. I started to grab the trash can and "Did you check that door for heat?" popped in my head. So I booted the can. 

 

For record, i can run faster than I thought...... they made a nest the entire width of the can under the handle.

 

I came back with two cans of 25' stream wasp killer and had myself a shootout. My neighbor came outside laughing because i was in the street shooting them out of the air while back pedaling away.

 

Didn't get hit!

[RC3]

Super soaker, gasoline, lighter, and a 4in long metal pipe to go on the end of the nozzle to keep the flames from melting the plastic. LOTS of fun. May have gotten me in trouble in my childhood, but nothing like a home made flame thrower. A husky contractors bag should do the trick as well. Final option, go a safe distance, and chuck something at it. 

 

If you have the balls, you could try to reason with them and offer a better location. There might be some legal fees involved a quite a few angry wasps, but it would be the most humane and thoughtful way of doing it. In fact, you might be able to work an agreement with them for protection. Think about it, most people have a strange innate fear of insects. And then give one wings a self lubricating, non detachable, multi use stinger and BAM!!!! Flying terror. 

Edited August 22, 2014 by RC3

[Glenn]

I have a friend that shot one with a shotgun. Who knew they can apparently follow the disturbance back to its point of origin. I wish I had a picture.

[Fourtyfive]

It's still hanging there , no one has been stung , might wait for the first freeze and keep it intact.

[DaveS]

I've read about the first frost thing but what about the young'uns inside. Have they already hatched out and flown the coup ?

Grown and gone!

 

Dave

[Ray Z]

Had a friend that had your problem. He called an exterminator. The dude came after dark, climbed a step ladder, and slid a plastic bag over the whole nest, cut it off and took it away. Norm called him back 3 times because the hornets rebuilt the nest on the same limb twice. The third call back was because they gave up on the limb and made their nest in the ground just under that limb. He sprayed the heck out of the ground and the problem ended. Short story. Thought it might make your day a little easier.

[analog_kidd]

Can't tell your location from your profile, but if you live near Knoxville, I have a full body beekeeping suit you are welcome to borrow if you want to try taking it down.

[Fourtyfive]

Can't tell your location from your profile, but if you live near Knoxville, I have a full body beekeeping suit you are welcome to borrow if you want to try taking it down.

Thanks but I think my son is just going to leave it alone for now.

[red dirt]

I have one on my horse trailer that hasn't been used this summer.  thanks for all the tips.  I am planning on pulling up in my truck and spraying the nest through the crack of an open window. 

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

I just found some wasps trying to build a nest between chimney and house.I hate anything with a stinger..cause they hurt..

 

I just think the nests are neat but husband doesn't want to wait until it gets pretty..lol