Hornets

Bald Faced Hornet

Dolichovespula maculata

Behavior:
Aggressive, poisonous, easily agitated.

Similar to yellowjackets in shape, but larger and black/white rather than black/yellow, bald-faced hornets are another dangerous social paper wasp. Although the nests can be quite large, the colonies are small, with only several hundred rather than thousands of workers. Bald-faced hornet nests are nearly always found hanging on eaves, trees, or other exterior locations, and only very rarely in enclosed spaces. The same care and caution used in dealing with yellowjackets should be used when dealing with bald-faced hornets – there aren’t as many in a nest, but they are larger, and they pump more venom when they sting. Liquids or aerosols are the best formulations to use in killing their nests. Because of their aggressive nature, it is advised to have a professional pest control operator remove their nest.