When you hear the word “hornet”, you might picture a nasty bug that wants to sting you to death if you get close. But that’s just one of many myths surrounding these fascinating critters.
Let’s begin with the surprisingly easy tasks of hornet removal and prevention. Then, we’ll get to know hornets a little better and discuss why you may or may not want them around.
Getting Rid of Hornets
There are a few ways to deal with a hornet nest without resorting to all-out war. Depending on where the nest is located and how urgent it is, removal may be easy or difficult.
Read Also: How to Get Rid of Wasps
Locating the Nest
Hornets can build nests as high as 30 feet up, so they’re not always easy to spot (or reach). When you discover a hornet, it’s often easiest to simply try and track it back to the nest.
Safety Gear
If you plan to attack a nest, make sure you wear long gloves and protective clothing with sleeves and legs tucked in. This will make it harder for any defending hornets to sting you.
It’s also generally best to attack at night when activity is at its lowest. If you plan to use a flashlight, attach a piece of red cellophane over the end of the flashlight using a rubber band to hold it in place. Hornets are least attracted to this color and using a red filter won’t disturb them as much as unfiltered light would.
Attacking Outdoor Nests
There are three ways to take out a nest: sprays, powders, and getting someone else to do it.
Using Sprays
- FAST KNOCKDOWN: Kills wasps, hornets, yellow jackets and mud daubers
- JET SPRAY: This product reaches nests up to 20 feet away
- ELIMINATES THE NEST: SpectracidePRO Wasp and Hornet Killer kills the entire nest...
The easiest way to deal with a nest once you’ve found it is to pick up a wasp and hornet spray. Make sure the spray has a long reach so you aren’t an easy target. Most brands spray around 20 feet which is plenty distance to safely reach a nest.
For the typical homeowner, there are two products that I feel work a bit better than others.
- Spectracide Pro offers the fastest knockdown I’ve seen. It essentially kills them on contact because of its higher concentration of active ingredients. There’s a much smaller chance of a hornet escaping after being sprayed.
- Raid Max foaming spray is unique that it can cover a nest with a thick foam to trap the hornets inside. It also allows you to easily see where you’ve sprayed.
Both of these sprays have powerful stream that shoots 20+ feet out and a strong residual effect that helps eliminate returning hornets (that may not have been home).
But with almost any spray, usage instructions are similar:
- Before using any hornet spray, find a good spot from a safe distance. Don’t stand directly under the nest as you don’t want chemicals (or dying hornets) falling on you.
- Have a plan of escape, like the rear/side door of your garage (just in case you completely miss and agitate the hornets). Though highly unlikely, think “worst case scenario.”
- If there’s a slight breeze, think about where the spray will go (you don’t want it coming back at you). If it’s a bit too windy, wait for a better opportunity, even if it means waiting a couple days.
- To use the spray, take aim at the nest entrance and begin spraying. You’ll want to thoroughly soak the nest.
- Almost immediately, you should see hornets dropping to the ground below. A foaming spray won’t be as dramatic as most of them will become trapped inside and die there. Those on the ground may move around a bit for a few seconds while they die.
After a day or two, if there’s still activity, go for another round. Continue doing this until you no longer see activity. Some say it’s a good idea to switch brands occasionally to prevent superbugs.
- Fast coverage foam kills the entire wasp nest
- Foam traps wasps & hornets
- Kill bugs on contact
Using Powders
A hornet spray should be the plan of action for the majority of cases. But in certain situations (e.g. an indoor nest), a powder product may be the better option.
This method is highly effective but can be a bit tricky at the same time. You also have a choice of chemical pesticide (like Delta Dust), diatomaceous earth, or borax.
The dust needs to be sprayed or otherwise deposited in the nest entrance (this can be the tricky part). Any hornets that leave the nest will be exposed, and workers entering the nest will track it in. You may need to make multiple applications.
Hire a Pro
This option is sometimes necessary if the nest is inaccessible (such as in your walls), too large, or you simply want someone else to handle it. An exterminator may be more affordable than you first think, and they can help ensure there are no future infestations.
Nests in Walls
Dealing with a hornet infestation in your home isn’t easy, but a little patience will make it easier. The biggest rule is to avoid sealing the nest entrance, as workers will start chewing through your walls looking for a way out. Combat the entrance using the same methods as an outdoor nest.
Wait it Out
Perhaps the best way to get rid of hornets is to let nature take its course. When cold weather sets in, the workers will die out, leaving behind only a few fertile queens. The queens may be safely relocated or eliminated while they’re hibernating.
Preventing Hornets
There are a few methods you can use to discourage hornets from setting up residence on your property. Here are some of the most effective ones:
Attract Insectivores
There are a number of common birds that feed on insects. These fine feathered friends will help keep the local hornet population under control, as well as feeding on many other insect pests. Just make sure you put any bird food in places where other critters can’t get to them.
Entry Points
When you think of entry points, you might picture doors and windows. However, even tiny holes in your home’s exterior walls can allow a hornet to get in.
Make a habit of checking your home every few years for potential access points, such as holes in the exterior wall, damaged caulking, or broken screens.
Plants That Attract Hornets
Hornets are especially attracted to certain fruit trees and shrubs. You can either avoid planting these in your garden or treat them with neem soil soaks to kill any hornets that attempt to chew on them. Popular target plants include:
- Birch
- Boxwood
- Dogwood
- Fruit trees
- Ligustrum
- Lilac
- Poplar
- Rhododendron
- Viburnum
- Willow
Using Abandoned Nests
One other potential trick is to seal the entrance to an abandoned hornet nest and leave it intact. Sealing will prevent other critters from taking up residence, and hornets and wasps typically avoid building new nests near old ones, as they are territorial creatures.
Thus a fertile queen will see the nest and go somewhere else to start her colony.
Getting to Know Hornets
There’s only one true species of hornet in the US, the European hornet (Vespa crabro). Therefore, we’ll be focusing primarily on this species. However, paper wasps are often referred to as hornets.
Related: Is It a Hornet, Wasp, or Bee? (Identification Guide)
Identifying European Hornets
It’s fairly easy to identify a European hornet. Measuring approximately an inch long with queens measuring up to 1.3 inches, they’re bigger than most native wasps.
These critters have red and yellow heads, a thorax that’s both brown and red, and a yellow abdomen with brown markings that dominate the base and become smaller on each segment towards the tip. Thanks to this coloration, it’s often fairly easy to distinguish one from a regular wasp.
One curious fact about the European hornet is that a nest will remain active even at night. There will be fewer workers moving about, but those that are may be attracted to your yard or porch lights.
Where Are European Hornets Located?
As the name suggests, these hornets originated in Europe and may be found throughout much of Europe and Asia. However, specimens were detected in the US during the 1840s and they now have a slowly expanding territory.
Established colonies and isolated sightings have been confirmed in every state east of the Mississippi, with know colonies now stretching into Oklahoma and Illinois. Isolated sightings have been recorded as far west as the Dakotas.
Where Do European Hornets Nest?
This species builds paper nests, but unlike bald-faced hornets or yellow jackets, it prefers tree hollows and other protected spaces. It’s not unusual for them to nest in wall spaces. Ground nests are rare but not unheard of.
Usually only the nest entrance and a tiny portion of paper wall required to fill any openings will be visible. The average nest will have around 200 to 400 workers at its active peak in September, although larger nests may have as many as 1,000 workers and 3,000 cells.
What Are Ground Hornets?
The bald-faced hornet and other yellow jackets are sometimes referred to as ground hornets.
These wasps have a similar appearance to the European hornet and may be treated using similar methods. However, they aren’t true hornets. Be careful when investigating a ground nest as true hornets usually prefer higher nesting grounds.
Are Hornets Dangerous?
Despite their reputation, hornets are fairly docile and will only attack if they believe their nest is being attacked. Hornet stings are a bit more painful than bee stings, but unless you have an allergy or are stung multiple times, they’re usually not a big deal.
That said, it’s not uncommon to get stung when harvesting apples, pears, or other sweet fruits a worker might be trying to feed on.
They’re also known to strip the bark on some bushes to feed on the sap and have a particular fondness for lilac. While not a direct threat to the plant, the sap may attract other pests. Additionally, the individual branch or twig being fed on may eventually die.
Are Hornets Beneficial?
This species feeds on many other insects, such as grasshoppers and flies. They’re known to also eat wasps and bees, although honey bee attacks are uncommon in the US.
A Note on Two Other Hornets
When we said that the European hornet was the only species in the US, we weren’t counting two other invaders. The Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) was first identified in Washington in 2019. Also known as the northern giant hornet, sparrow wasp, and the murder hornet, this species can grow to an impressive two inches long.
At the time of this article, there have been no sightings of this species in the US since 2022. This means they are currently considered to have been eradicated from the US.
Likewise, the yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina) was discovered in Georgia and South Carolina in 2023. At the time of writing, no evidence of a foothold has been confirmed, so the specimens may have been merely hitchhikers.
Hornets vs Wasps
Hornets are a specific genus of wasp, the Vespa. They are a type of paper wasp that bears a similar appearance to yellow jackets.
Morgan is a certified entomologist and pest control consultant and a member of the National Pest Management Association.
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