Paper Wasp Nest

[multivita-man]

I remember now--memory isn't the best anymore. In WA, they apparently discovered that honey bees have a natural defense to murder hornets. I guess the hornets are very sensitive to heat. The bees instinctively? or learned this. When the hive is attacked, they increase activity in the hive raising the temperature above what the hornet can tolerate and they die. Here's more on it. Murder hornets and thermal defense by honeybees

Correction: The Japanese honeybees have a natural defense; the European honeybees do not. That's really why people are freaking out about their appearance in the US. They worry they could destroy bee colonies.

 

[Leo123]

The exterminator told me that paper wasps usually don't sting but they will fly up and bump you. Never heard that before. Still I don't take chances when I see those brown 'mud' nests I get the 20 ft spray out and 'blitzkrieg' their fortifications.

 

[Concerned American]

The exterminator told me that paper wasps usually don't sting but they will fly up and bump you. Never heard that before. Still I don't take chances when I see those brown 'mud' nests I get the 20 ft spray out and 'blitzkrieg' their fortifications.

We call the ones in the mud nests mud dobbers and I've never had one give me a second look. I don't have much problem with paper wasps or hornets either, but if I see a yellow jacket--that sucker is going to die.

 

[Lastamender]

They kill spiders and are not aggressive and very seldom sting anyone. A good guy in the insect world.

 

[White 6]

Yep, that is a hornets nest and they are not to be fucked with. The worst, IMO, are the yellowjackets or "ground hornets" as they're sometimes called - got popped by those more than once hiking in Georgia and Tennessee as a youngin'. They will go for sugary drinks and they won't let you touch that bottle of Gatorade once they decide it's theirs, lol.

Yellow jacket are smaller and maybe faster and harder to see, coming at you. I got into them mowing my yard, didn't know there was almost a cloud around my ankles and leg. I got away running like hell. Got back in the house. Didn't pass out but had to lay down and was popping Benadryl like Chiclets that afternoon. The hole was about 3/4" diameter by a root of my maple tree in front yard. I did not do anything that day, cause I was down. Next afternoon, I loaded up my pump up sprayer with gasoline. After dark when they were settled for the night, I used a flashlight, stood back and started spraying down the hole. Gas does a number on them pretty quick but I kept shooting it in there long after they quit trying to come out. Then took the gas away. Soaked a stick. Lit it and pitched it at the holes. I burnt 3 feet of my grass and charred the root as the hole looked like an eternal flame for about an hour, but I got the little bastards.

 

[White 6]

Here's Coyote Pearson's reaction to Murder Hornets:



Horrifying.

That guy is an idiot! I won't even mess with American baldface hornets.

 

[multivita-man]

Yellow jacket are smaller and maybe faster and harder to see, coming at you. I got into them mowing my yard, didn't know there was almost a cloud around my ankles and leg. I got away running like hell. Got back in the house. Didn't pass out but had to lay down and was popping Benadryl like Chiclets that afternoon. The hole was about 3/4" diameter by a root of my maple tree in front yard. I did not do anything that day, cause I was down. Next afternoon, I loaded up my pump up sprayer with gasoline. After dark when they were settled for the night, I used a flashlight, stood back and started spraying down the hole. Gas does a number on them pretty quick but I kept shooting it in there long after they quit trying to come out. Then took the gas away. Soaked a stick. Lit it and pitched it at the holes. I burnt 3 feet of my grass and charred the root as the hole looked like an eternal flame for about an hour, but I got the little bastards.

Yellow jackets are also generally more aggressive. In my experience, wasps and hornets will generally leave you alone if you give them space, and even if you happen to disturb them, you can sometimes escape just by making a run for it. Yellow jackets, on the other hand, are really aggressive. They won't just sting the person who vibrated their nest; they'll go after anyone they see in their vicinity, and sometimes 'vicinity' can be 10 or 20 yards away once they're sufficiently agitated. They behave somewhat like killer bees.

 

[NoVote]

I kept some beehives as a hobby several years ago. In my late 70's now and I have only been stung 2 or 3 times in my life. Not sure what it is, but they don't bother me much. Bees have a sense of smell for sure, maybe they are provoked by scent, dark cloths are an attractor, and they can see real good in light we can't, they also seem to know fear or hate and if you come arund their nest looking to harm it, they will all fight back to the death. Their prime driver in every type of bee is to protect the Queen at all costs.

 

[Road Runner]

Bees are something I like very much, and if you don't pester them, they won't pester you (unless you have something loaded with sugar nearby, then they will come looking for food, but the way to avoid that is to place some of the sugary stuff 10 or more feet away from you. They will go to the easy stuff and leave you alone.

Wasps? Not so much. All varieties are mean little bastards who are easily provoked, and will bug you at a moment's notice.

I like bees too as bees are important to our ecosystem and way too many of them are dying out. Also, although it appears that the nest is a hornet's nest and not a wasp's nest (White 6 can change the title of the thread if he wishes) I'd like to remind you guys that this wasn't near my house where I took the picture. I just went on a hike in the park and thought the nest was neat. (At a distance of course.)

Here's Coyote Pearson's reaction to Murder Hornets:



Horrifying.

I've seen this guy before. He's fucking nuts.

 

[White 6]

I like bees too as bees are important to our ecosystem and way too many of them are dying out. Also, although it appears that the nest is a hornet's nest and not a wasp's nest (White 6 can change the title of the thread if he wishes) I'd like to remind you guys that this wasn't near my house where I took the picture. I just went on a hike in the park and thought the nest was neat. (At a distance of course.)





I've seen this guy before. He's fucking nuts.

Good to know you keep your eyes open for potential dangers when enjoying a hike, or as in my case, struggling though hike/climb, trying to act as if I am enjoying.