Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Rural Living Hornets

I rode by my bees today, and one of my wax moths traps had blown to the ground. I emptied it to see what I had, and not many moths, but a bunch of Hornets. Probably 60-70. I did not check the other trap but did re-bait and re-hang the one that I emptied. I read that hornets are hard on honey bees, and I probably need to find the hornet nest. Have no idea where to look first. miles

I live in western South Dakota. We have wasps mostly instead of hornets but they are in the same family so maybe they will nest similarly. The wasp nests here tend to be located in old buildings, barns, and sheds that are not in use. They usually have a broken window or partially open door. I have them in a couple of open front calf shelters too. Wasps build some big nests if left alone for a time. Most of the ones I find are about the size of a baseball but there was one in an old sheep barn that was about 8" in diameter and hung down about two feet. If there are no buildings like that around then they are likely in the cavity of a tree or on a large limb of a tree. You might have some luck walking any wooded areas and watching for them flying in and out of an area. If you have a frost where you live that should kill all of them except the queen. No telling where she might hole up. Good luck.

Here they make a nest that looks like a ball hanging from a tree limb. Lots of trees here. miles

I really like honey bees; wasp and hornets are another story. The bastards got me good about a month ago; walked out on to the deck to scope the other side of the lake. All of a sudden, it felt like I was struck by lightening on the back of my neck. Never saw the nest attached to the light fixture close to the railing. Mofoes got me about 6 times in less than a second. One hour later and new can of 'Killer', problem eliminated.

 The incident forced me to drink 6 beers to calm my nerves, pain and anger.

Raw meat will draw the hornet away from your hives, fly poison will kill them.

May have been cold enough to get rid of them for this year, but there is a nest with a queen around somewhere. I have no idea of the range that they travel from the nest, but I will be looking this winter while all of the leaves are off. Oaks are just now getting bare. A lot fell last week, the the leaves seemed to hang on late this year, even with some pretty big frosts. miles

Miles, they might be ground nesting hornets. In that case, you're just going to have to try to follow some and see where they go into the ground. There were no hornets that built nests in trees back in Gilmer, they were all ground-nesting. I have hit a bunch of them while bushhogging and using the string trimmer along fence rows.

Ed

Never seen any kind but the tree kind here, but they may have moved in. Fire ants have gotten bad in the last couple of years. never saw them in this part of the State until then. miles

Must be some of those you picked up at my old place and took home with you.

Ed