HUGE wasp??? nest! (pics)

[Mona]

After the leaves started to fall from the trees, we discovered a HUGE wasp nest hanging in the tree. It's kind of scary since it is not all that high up there, and I went under those branches many, mnay times over the summer when cutting the lawn on the riding mower! Glad they never felt that I was too close! This nest, not even sure if it is bees, wasps or hornets, is about 16" top to bottom and almost 12" across at the widest point. Just thought I'd share, since I found it to be quite amazing! LOL.

And a couple from further back to try to show a bit of a size comparison.

 

[Minimor]

That's about the same size as the one we discovered here in our trees about a week ago. Ours had black hornets in it; we knew they had a nest somewhere, because earlier in the summer they were in the hayshed a lot, being a real nuisance. Then the yellow jackets showed up around the shed (wasps appear to eat flies? They were catching flies in our hayshed; one I noticed appeared to be pulling the wings off the fly, then he flew off before I saw what he did from there) and the hornets disappeared. Now we know where the nest was all this time. (The yellow jackets are still around, but I haven't found their nest yet.)

Anyway, our hornet nest was the same size as you describe, only ours was lower, about the height of my head, and this one was smoother than the one in your photos. I didn't feel like buying more spray (I've already disposed of two nests of carpenter bees and one of yellowjackets earlier in the summer) so decided I'd set this one on fire. First, though, I studied it to see how busy it looked to be. There weren't many hornets around so I shook the tree, and a couple came out so I cleared out. When I went back there was no activity, so I got a broom and gave it a few whacks. Nothing. Those two that came out at the start must have been the only inhabitants left, because I ended up knocking it out of the tree & smashing it, & there was nothing in it. Good thing I didn't waste money on a can of spray to spray an empty nest! :lol: Darn it, I suppose there are several young queens hibernating somewhere & next year we'll have 5 nests in the yard.

I wish I could find our yellowjacket nest & dispose of it, because I'm very sick of having wasps buzzing around my ears and nose when I'm around the hayshed. It's definitely nowhere around the shed itself, but it could even be over in the neighbor's trees next door. I've looked a lot in our yard & trees and unless it's an underground nest it doesn't seem to be here.

 

[JumpinJackFarm]

Mona...first of all I have to tell you "I love your Avatars"

: Second...My Hubby found a nest similiar to that about a month ago in a Azalea Bush near our hose bib. Turned out to be an ACTIVE nest as he was stung several times. We have been keeping a close eye on it & staying away...but had seen NO bee activity, so we checked it a little closer last weekend and there was no signs of bees..the nest was abandoned?? It was about the size of a football & looked just like yours. Is yours still active? Good Luck & be careful

: Teri

 

[Kathy]

Wow Mona, that is scary!! We have had so many around here but they never bothered me until a few weeks ago when one stung me in the big toe. I was such a baby that I couldn't walk all night because it burned so bad. Nothing took the pain away, not even vicodin. Made my husband do all the work that night!

:

: We also have the meat bees that go after the cat food that is outside, but they don't sting the animals, thank goodness.

 

[Magic]

EW, *shudder* Glad you never accidently knocked into that thing! :new_shocked:

We have tons of wasps (or whatever they are) too, ours tend to make lots of little nests all over the place though. At least they aren't too aggressive or I would get stung a lot!

 

[Mona]

I am assuming they are the black and yellow striped(non-fuzzy, so not bees) things. Those and bumble bees are the only ones I have really seen much of around here. We always get small, round, smooth nests in the barn, feed shed, and horse shelters. I alsways send hubby out with the can of spray at dusk, to take care of them. (I am too chicken....better he gets stung than me!

: ) But when I showed him this one, he was not too keen on trying to spray it! LOL! He said to wait until winter, and he'll take care of it then.

I have not seen any activity around it at all, but then I have not really been watching it much either. I am hoping they have gone somewhere else! I accidentally touched it with the tape measure today when I was trying to see how big it was, and nothing flew out, so maybe they are off to hibernate somewhere.

 

[nootka]

Ok, I can't see the nest pics, but I am guessing that would be, around here, a good excuse to get out something flammable and some ignition source.

We had that happen a few weeks ago. Hubby kept getting stung when he'd go up to clear brush and when he found the nest in the ground on our upper pasture, decided to do away with it.

(can't have the precious horsies get stung, now can we?)

He dumped a gallon of diesel/unleaded mix (leftover from when he accidentally filled our super duty w/unleaded when it's Diesel), into the nest area then ran down the hill, got a roman candle and pointed it up the hill to the approximate area. Took about four flaming exploding balls to find the fuel and then poof. Bye bees/hornets.

I am guessing they were yellow jackets.

HOpe yours go away more peacefully!

Liz M.

 

[Mona]

Hi Liz...the pics should be working again. The server was down for awhile, and that is why they weren't showing up.

This nest is in a tree right beside the house.(The tree branches drape over the roof of the house, it is that close) AND, our heating fuel barrel is right up against the house right there too, so the fuel idea is not a good plan for this one.

 

[keeperofthehorses]

Holy smokes!!! Yikes!!! You mowed under that thing???? :new_shocked:

Ok, now I think it would be interesting if, after a few freezes so you were sure the residents had evacuated, to cut it open to see what the insides look like.

We found a big one like that one year and cut it open and it was 6 of those flat yellowjacket circular nests all stacked on top of each other, like an apartment building. After looking through it for a while, we lit it on fire because we aren't zoned for high-density housing. :bgrin

Jeez... I still can't believe you didn't get stung running a mower under that.

 

[susanne]

I posted this on a thread about hornets earlier this summer, but it bears repeating:

Keith discovered a huge hornets' nest the hard way (ouch!!), and we had nothing to ease the pain. I did a google search and read that antiperspirant helps (it's the aluminum chlorhydrate). His stings were beginning to swell and become very painful, but as soon as I applied the antiperspirant, the swelling went down and the pain went away. A couple of days later, my sister used this on a bee sting, and it worked equally well.

It's good to remember that something most of us have around works so well.

 

[shane]

WAIT UNTIL HALLOWEEN!! AND ALL THE KIDS COME ROUND TRICK A TREATING...AND TELL THEM ITS A PINATA!!!! GIVE THEM ALL BIG STICKS,AND AWAY YA GO!!!!!!!!!!!!! :bgrin

just kidding

:

 

[Bassett]

To my knowledge yellow jackets and bumblebees have their nests in the ground. About a month or so ago I was out in the dog yard with a weed trimmer working around the dog houses. Son has 23 sled dogs. I cut into a nest and didn't know it. I didn't get stung, thank goodness. I moved the dog to a different spot so she was safe. But my son went out and tipped the house over that night and he got stung 4 times. He did not run fast enough. :lol: There was a huge nest under the house in the ground. I was just so hoping they stayed in the dog yard and stay away from my minis. I stood out in the horse pen for a long time with a can of spray. I don't think those bees would have been SAFE if they came after my babies. :bgrin

: Bonnie

 

[justjinx]

re: bee stings....this is gross, but WORKS! if you get stung put some CHEWED chewing tobacco on the area and the burning and stinging will go away! i know, i know, gross, but it works! jennifer :saludando:

(NO, i do not chew tobacco! )

 

[rabbitsfizz]

That is a wasp nest.

Depending on your weather it should be safe to cut it down and dispose of it.

If it still has activity going on and you absolutely HAVE to destroy it just put louse powder- ordinary barnyard stuff, around the entrance hole at the bottom- Just sling a good handful up there and the workers will carry it on their bodies into the nest.

I leave them alone if they are not bothering me but I had SO much trouble with them this summer that , had I been able to find the nest, I would have destroyed it.

Putting out a plastic bucket with the lid on and a hole in it, half full of sugar water, will get rid of any stragglers.

It kept my feed shed free of wasps all summer- just tip it out every so often and get rid of all the bodies.

I actually hate doing it but they really were a nuisance.

 

[nootka]

Oh man...that is HUGE

And yeah, I wasn't all that crazy about the fuel idea, either, but it's hard to control the testosterone train! *LOL*

And it was far from any structure though I was a bit concerned for the brush. It was in a spot our horses like to hang out in the Fall/Winter, so I figured I would keep them from getting stung by somehow getting rid of it. I had heard some other good things to put in there, but it would have involved going up there at night. My husband got stung three times while he was up there clearing brush before he knew it was there.

But your problem is a whole 'nother kettle of fish. My dad had a problem w/them under his septic lid, and he got one of those "sure shot" cans that sprays 30 ft. or more and sprayed the nest, and he said within hours they were gone.

Dunno if they sell it there, but I think if indeed you can wait, you have formulated a good plan of attack.

And susanne is right about the deodorant! I remembered that one!

Liz M.

 

[Sterling]

Oh that is wicked looking is'nt it??!!! :cold: We have many of those around here. One which was in our azalea bush a few years ago, and had bald faced hornets in it. Evidently the term "hornet" describes wasps that make papery nests. Here is a website I found that shows the nest and gives some helpful tips as well.

Just be careful!!!!

http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entfacts/struct/ef620.htm

Here's another one

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Ur...horn-yj.htm#top

 

[HGFarm]

Holy crap!!! :new_shocked: We dont have anything like that here!! I'll put up with the scorpions any day over that!!

 

[RainSong]

Nootka, you've scared the holy sh!t outta me. Lived here my whole life ('cept those 3 years in Ohio) and I've only ever seen the small honey-combed sorts of wasp nests under the eves of houses and junk.

I'm allergic to ground wasps. Found out because I was stung after trying to shove a baseball bat into a hive once. I was really little, and the hive was in the cement of our back porch in Portland, and the bugs kept attacking the dogs. Soooo, I was gonna make 'em stop! Had the whole hive on my butt, but only got stung three times. Swelled up bad... and lately it had developed into a severe phobia. I couldn't sit still around any bees, wasps, yellowjackets, etc except for bumblebees.

And then, along came Nathan, and this year we've had wasps/yellow jackets galore... I've gotten over my phobia. One stung Nathan, and I was done with that BS- I chase them out of the house and sqash them when I can now, even though no one else will.

But a nest like Mona's would have me freaking out big-time... and one like you've described... well, needless to say, I think I'll have nigthmares now! LOL I didn't think we got things like that here!!

Though I saw some odd ones lately- large black and white beasties. Now those things alarm me- they're massive compared to our nasty little yellow jackets (we call 'em wasps..)! Lemme tell ya, I'd love to find their nests and torch them. I hate them with a passion...

Though I no longer hate honey bees as much. I was actually soooo happy to see the few bumblebees that came to try and eat the rotten fruit on the porch...

:

 

[REO]

Yiiiiiii!!! Mona I get the willies just thinking about you mowing under that thing all Summer! Ahhhhh!!!

 

[runamuk]

I posted this on a thread about hornets earlier this summer, but it bears repeating:

Keith discovered a huge hornets' nest the hard way (ouch!!), and we had nothing to ease the pain. I did a google search and read that antiperspirant helps (it's the aluminum chlorhydrate). His stings were beginning to swell and become very painful, but as soon as I applied the antiperspirant, the swelling went down and the pain went away. A couple of days later, my sister used this on a bee sting, and it worked equally well.

It's good to remember that something most of us have around works so well.

Like totally off topic here.......................but the antiperspirant works fabulous on mosquito bites as well ...........

that nest is amazing...I had one like that once and we lived with them for a year before one of the nasty black and white beggers got mean and stung me. So we had to do them in as they were smack in a shrub in the middle of the drive. I have never had a sting get so infected and swollen it took over 6 months to heal....ick