Hornet Nest Removal Advice

[BGDave]

I'll be the odd guy.
Wet vac with a 10 foot pvc pipe extension.
"MacGyver" it on your hose. Maybe draw a cute hornet on the end. It may take a couple treatments, but you can get 99% of the little devils. Generally mutilates them to the point of walking dead. A shot of wasp killer in the hose won't hurt either.
Bear in mind normal hornets and bald faced (spawn of Satan) hornets bear a strong grudge.

 

[singlestacksig]

i hit them with a CO2 fire extinguisher.. freezes them ..

 

[Leadeye]

Bonide Ground Bee and Spider Killer, it's a dust that sprays from a squeeze tube, no liquids involved. Wait until after dark and just spray a lot around the entrance to the nest, activity will stop in a few days without causing a dramatic cloud of angry hornets. I've used the stuff for years. The wasp and hornet sprays will work as well, but the liquid gets on your house and what hornets it doesn't kill immediately will come out looking for you.

I get those nests on the house every year, but am on the lookout in May when it's just the queen getting started and take care of them then.

Sooner or later one night a raccoon is going to climb that pipe and pull the nest down to eat the larvae. You will have angry hornets flying around for a while.

 

[edporch]

They will abandon the nest come first frost.
Can you just wait them out?

I know.
If it wasn't where it is I'd just leave it alone.
But it's just about 10 feet from the back door of the enclosed porch that we use a lot.
And we grill out pretty near it.

As the nest gets bigger, they're getting more excitable.
It's already where if we don't close the back door really softly and walk way around, they come out of the nest.

I went out tonight about 11pm and sprayed the nest with the foam stuff, and did my best to get the foam up into the hole on the bottom too.
I'll see tomorrow if it did any good.

 

[edporch]

Wait until dark, put on eye protection and spray the darn things. Get the spray in the hole. Don't overthink it. It's easy.

I did that just tonight about 11pm.
Aimed at the the hole on the bottom and covered the nest with the foam stuff.
Will see tomorrow if it did any good.

 

[hoosierdoc]

I used an LP torch/weed dragon. Broad daylight. Lots of protective clothing and then i burned the MFers to the ground. Caught the tree on fire but i killed them all. Scared the crap out of me but i held my stance.

For that one, I'd def do at night. Could use a tarp as a shield, drape it like a ghost. One arm has a big broom or something to knock down, other has spray. I'd be inside within five seconds of smacking it. Have someone on the door to let you in and enter backward, flinging tarp off you to block door entrance

 

[smokingman]

Your guys anti exoskeleton game is weak.
A pump sprayer and 10% permithrin diluted down to 1-3% will kill almost anything with an exoskeleton(and keep doing so for around 60-90 days). If the said exoskeleton demons are really causing an issue you can step up your game to 37% permithrin.

Black flies in Minnesota,mosquitoes,ticks,ants...you name it and if it has an exoskeleton permithrin will not only kill it,but keep them away. I still spray around my fire pit/yard and house once or twice a year and any kind of bug is very rare.

It is used in some dog flea dips,gear spray by Sawyer,your local pest control guy(if you do not have cats it is generally what they will always use for any bug call),and cattle farmers. It works. It is illegal in MN for anyone without a pest control license(because it can kill cats and frogs),but not in Indiana(or most of the USA).

It will not harm you or a dog,but it can harm cats. If a cat smells it they will run away,so to me it is a bonus.

This jug would be enough to spray your entire house,yard,and you likely would not even use 1/3 of it. $15 I even picked up a few extra jugs last time I was at a Tractor Supply, because like most everything it is getting harder to find.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/control-solutions-permethrin-10-1-pt

 

[Nazgul]

There was that time I hit one of those bastards while riding my motorcycle. It went down my shirt and stung me 8 times before I got him out. Imagine if you will, an old fat guy, on the side of the road, taking of his shirt and violently swinging it around.....
Fortunately I have little reaction to stings/bites. They hurt for half an hour then they go away.

Now the wife is different, she would need medical attention. Have to watch her closely if she is stung.

The foaming spray works for us on the farm.

Don

 

[Frosty]

There was that time I hit one of those bastards while riding my motorcycle. It went down my shirt and stung me 8 times before I got him out. Imagine if you will, an old fat guy, on the side of the road, taking of his shirt and violently swinging it around.....
Fortunately I have little reaction to stings/bites. They hurt for half an hour then they go away.

Now the wife is different, she would need medical attention. Have to watch her closely if she is stung.

The foaming spray works for us on the farm.

Don

I was driving my work truck back to our shop for the day, had one of those giant orange and black hornets come in the window, hit my shoulder and then I lost track of it. There’s a little cut out in the door so you can see your blind spot mirrors and the glass is still exposed in that area. I look over and there’s this giant hornet stinging the crap out of the glass I was getting out of that truck, stopped or not

 

[edporch]

Checked this morning, and it's dead as a door nail.
Scraped it down and it's sealed in an old plastic coffee can in the trash.

When I sprayed it at 11pm last night, I went out with it totally dark, with a flashlight with red film wrapping on it so they wouldn't see the light when I shined it on the nest.
Sprayed for about 8 seconds into the hole best I could and covered the nest.
THEN got out of there because it woke them up, I could hear the buzzing, and they were pissed!

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Checked this morning, and it's dead as a door nail.
Scraped it down and it's sealed in an old plastic coffee can in the trash.

When I sprayed it at 11pm last night, I went out with it totally dark, with a flashlight with red film wrapping on it so they wouldn't see the light when I shined it on the nest.
Sprayed for about 8 seconds into the hole best I could and covered the nest.
THEN got out of there because it woke them up, I could hear the buzzing, and they were pissed!

There is something satisfying about that.

 

[manifest destiny]

Your guys anti exoskeleton game is weak.
A pump sprayer and 10% permithrin diluted down to 1-3% will kill almost anything with an exoskeleton(and keep doing so for around 60-90 days). If the said exoskeleton demons are really causing an issue you can step up your game to 37% permithrin.

Black flies in Minnesota,mosquitoes,ticks,ants...you name it and if it has an exoskeleton permithrin will not only kill it,but keep them away. I still spray around my fire pit/yard and house once or twice a year and any kind of bug is very rare.

It is used in some dog flea dips,gear spray by Sawyer,your local pest control guy(if you do not have cats it is generally what they will always use for any bug call),and cattle farmers. It works. It is illegal in MN for anyone without a pest control license(because it can kill cats and frogs),but not in Indiana(or most of the USA).

It will not harm you or a dog,but it can harm cats. If a cat smells it they will run away,so to me it is a bonus.

This jug would be enough to spray your entire house,yard,and you likely would not even use 1/3 of it. $15 I even picked up a few extra jugs last time I was at a Tractor Supply, because like most everything it is getting harder to find.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/control-solutions-permethrin-10-1-pt

This is a good take^^. I still prefer bifenthrin. Permethrin is usually cheaper-ish and has a quicker knockdown (although it's still not considered a knock-down pesticide). I've never known permethrin to last more than 3-5 weeks at labeled application rates. Bifenthrin easily last 80-90 days under normal conditions. Bifenthrin is also labeled for kitchens and food production/processing areas. Permethrin is usually the go-to for mosquito control. But I prefer bifenthrin for perimeter pest control on/around houses. The cat thing... I've never heard of Permethrin being toxic to cats specifically. I mean, it's all poison so toxicity will always be a concern.

 

[AndreusMaximus]

This doesn't help for a nest that size (or for one on a house, or in the city) but I know my brother one time found a small hornet nest just starting to be built in a pine tree. His solution was 12ga bird shot from about 3-5 yards. I was there, and believe it or not it worked spectacularly. The nest and any hornets in/on it disappeared instantly.

 

[smokingman]

This is a good take^^. I still prefer bifenthrin. Permethrin is usually cheaper-ish and has a quicker knockdown (although it's still not considered a knock-down pesticide). I've never known permethrin to last more than 3-5 weeks at labeled application rates. Bifenthrin easily last 80-90 days under normal conditions. Bifenthrin is also labeled for kitchens and food production/processing areas. Permethrin is usually the go-to for mosquito control. But I prefer bifenthrin for perimeter pest control on/around houses. The cat thing... I've never heard of Permethrin being toxic to cats specifically. I mean, it's all poison so toxicity will always be a concern.

Permethrin toxicity in cats: a retrospective study of 20 cases - PubMed

Owner education, together with more appropriate product labelling, may help eliminate this problem in the future.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Look at all the studies below that one as well. It is a know issue with permethrin,and the brand I posted in the link includes a cat warning in the literature.

 

[Frosty]

Permethrin toxicity in cats: a retrospective study of 20 cases - PubMed

Owner education, together with more appropriate product labelling, may help eliminate this problem in the future.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Look at all the studies below that one as well. It is a know issue with permethrin,and the brand I posted in the link includes a cat warning in the literature.

I’m curious the affect this has on the good pollinators? I have a lot of honey bees and bumble bees and prefer not to chase them off, the cats can go, not an issue!

 

[manifest destiny]

I’m curious the affect this has on the good pollinators? I have a lot of honey bees and bumble bees and prefer not to chase them off, the cats can go, not an issue!

Both control bees. Usually the chem is applied along the bottom of buildings and the ground next to it. Say 3' up 3' out. Can also be applied around light fixtures, utility entry/exit on building, etc. Typically the application occurs prior to infestation. In that scenario, the coveted pollinators should be unscathed. They simply wouldn't attach their hive to the building where it's been treated. They (bees) could easily live very near the treatment area. Maybe one will land on treated area and die, but the hive he's from should be fine. There is a website called drift watch dot org that can be used by farmers, bee keeper, pesticide applicators, etc. to make decisions as to where to plant, keep or apply pesticides. The Indiana state chemist office is responsible for licensing applicators. Most of the training, compliance regs and whatnot are managed through Purdue (drive north 'til you smell it. Walk west 'til you step in it.)

 

[schmart]

Q

Your guys anti exoskeleton game is weak.
A pump sprayer and 10% permithrin diluted down to 1-3% will kill almost anything with an exoskeleton(and keep doing so for around 60-90 days). If the said exoskeleton demons are really causing an issue you can step up your game to 37% permithrin.

Black flies in Minnesota,mosquitoes,ticks,ants...you name it and if it has an exoskeleton permithrin will not only kill it,but keep them away. I still spray around my fire pit/yard and house once or twice a year and any kind of bug is very rare.

It is used in some dog flea dips,gear spray by Sawyer,your local pest control guy(if you do not have cats it is generally what they will always use for any bug call),and cattle farmers. It works. It is illegal in MN for anyone without a pest control license(because it can kill cats and frogs),but not in Indiana(or most of the USA).

It will not harm you or a dog,but it can harm cats. If a cat smells it they will run away,so to me it is a bonus.

This jug would be enough to spray your entire house,yard,and you likely would not even use 1/3 of it. $15 I even picked up a few extra jugs last time I was at a Tractor Supply, because like most everything it is getting harder to find.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/control-solutions-permethrin-10-1-pt

Question about the dilution rate. Do you mean 3% of the bottled solution to 97% water? Or dilute the 10% concentrate so the resultant spray contains 3% chemical?

In the first case you end up with about 25 gallons of spray, but the latter less than a gallon.
Rick

 

[manifest destiny]

A 3% solution, emulsion, whatever is typically 3% active ingredient (if there's only one) to 97% carrier (which isn't always water). As for 1g vs. 25g, one has to consider perspective. Joe homeowner might need one gallon. Mr. McOrkin might need to treat a strip mall.

 

[CZB1962]

I had to do this a few years ago. I waited until almost dark, sprayed up the hole for about 10-15 seconds (which seems like a lifetime while doing it LOL) and the ran like hell back into the house. Went out the next morning and had a pile of dead ones under the nest.

 

[nonobaddog]

This is a good take^^. I still prefer bifenthrin. Permethrin is usually cheaper-ish and has a quicker knockdown (although it's still not considered a knock-down pesticide). I've never known permethrin to last more than 3-5 weeks at labeled application rates. Bifenthrin easily last 80-90 days under normal conditions. Bifenthrin is also labeled for kitchens and food production/processing areas. Permethrin is usually the go-to for mosquito control. But I prefer bifenthrin for perimeter pest control on/around houses. The cat thing... I've never heard of Permethrin being toxic to cats specifically. I mean, it's all poison so toxicity will always be a concern.

I use Bifenthrin (Talstar brand) at the cabin. Works great for me, only one application per season.