saturdays adventure

[sweatybetty]

found this yesterday about 10 feet from the clothesline. about 18" long.  eradication is saturday mornings big adventure. wish me luck

[grannyknot]

They will be vacating the hive in the next few weeks and you won't see them again, they haven't bothered you up to now have they? Just saying we need the pollinators.

[Mark Maras]

 I agree with Grannyknot, however, if it must go, work after dark. The hornets aren't as active then. I almost hit one with my head mowing the outback lawn some years back. I waited til after dark, clipped enough small branches to allow a garbage bag to slipped over the whole nest. Duck taped the bag opening to the branch and then lopped off the branch above the tape. Didn't get stung. Best of luck on yours.

[Zed Head]

They eat bugs too.  I saw a small one attack a bug on my front porch the other day.  Great entertainment.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-41042948

[grannyknot]

10 hours ago, Zed Head said:

They eat bugs too.  I saw a small one attack a bug on my front porch the other day.  Great entertainment.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-41042948

That is their primary job, they eat a wide variety of garden bugs, very useful creatures. I have to admit that I have wiped out tens of thousands of wasps and hornets before  studying their life cycle and eating habits.

[Mark Maras]

 Among the bugs that they kill are honey bees. They can wipe out a small honey bee hive in their raids for honey and larvae.

[Zed Head]

We need the ratios, in order to make an informed decision.  Kill, kill, kill.

Interesting topic.  Not sure that all wasps kill honeybees.  Yellowjackets tend to live underground.  Best to figure out what kind of wasps you're dealing with first.

Edited August 26, 2017 by Zed Head

[sweatybetty]

5 hours ago, Mark Maras said:

 Among the bugs that they kill are honey bees. They can wipe out a small honey bee hive in their raids for honey and larvae.

bingo!

 

3 hours ago, Zed Head said:

We need the ratios, in order to make an informed decision.  Kill, kill, kill.

Interesting topic.  Not sure that all wasps kill honeybees.  Yellowjackets tend to live underground.  Best to figure out what kind of wasps you're dealing with first.

these are bald-faced hornets, and they have been steadily killing quite a few of my honey bees. the yellow-jackets like to get in the hive and feed on the larvae.

 

[JSM]

For us ignorant folks (me) what they heck are you looking at? I swear I see a moose head missing it's antlers, with an alligator back!  I guess I need to get out more!

[Mark Maras]

1 hour ago, sweatybetty said:

bingo!

 

these are bald-faced hornets, and they have been steadily killing quite a few of my honey bees. the yellow-jackets like to get in the hive and feed on the larvae.

 

  You'll find them chewing on old wood fences gathering wood fiber to chew into pulp and then build the nest out of paper. Fascinating. I don't think the Chinese invented paper, they just took credit for it.

I was watching a honey bee hive (daughter's) the other day and noticed what appeared to the remains of a raid on the ground at the hive entrance. Surprisingly, the honey bees did pretty good. One dead yellow-jacket for every two dead honey bees.

[sweatybetty]

5 hours ago, JSM said:

For us ignorant folks (me) what they heck are you looking at? I swear I see a moose head missing it's antlers, with an alligator back!  I guess I need to get out more!

it is a hornets nest attached to cedar tree limbs. i should have some nice pics tomorrow

[Captain Obvious]

Just make sure they aren't pics of you in the emergency room from getting stung 6000 times!!