Gentlemen,
I'm uniquely qualified to comment on this topic. I usually color well within the lines here on the campfire, but about this subject, well I don't believe there's another fella on the forum that has had his hands on as many of these as I have.
I had 15 live nests in my hands today. 636 of them last summer.
To the OP, If you want to preserve the paper nest your best bet is to remove all of the adults first. A Shop-Vac with extension tubes works well for this. They react to vibration and so simply bump the bush with a stick and they'll come storming out.
Bald Faced Hornets, If that's what these are, are a far-ranging species. Vacuuming to get all the adults may take a half an hour or more. You're welcome to send me a picture and I can positively identify the species for you.
The queen will not leave the nest. And keep in mind that the nest is currently full of larvae and pupae which are hatching out constantly. So once you finish vacuuming and you think you can cut the nest out you will need to then drop it into a chest freezer. Leave it in the freezer for several days, then take it outside and let it air out for a week or more in the heat. It will stink a bit during this process.
Wear all the protective gear you can during this removal. If you have a beekeeper friend borrow a veil and gloves.
Bald-faced hornets can sting multiple times and bite hard enough to draw blood. They can also squirt venom and so while you're working the nest keep your eyes slightly averted downwards.
Sprays, etc will degrade the paper nest capsule. Plastic bags will do the same.
Anyway contact me if you have any questions and I can walk you through it
Last edited by longarm; 07/23/21. Reason: Typo
