wasp nest?

[forestgnome]

What creatures call this home? It's attached to a beech tree branch, near the Swift River, just east of Lilly Pond.

Any info appreciated.

happy trails

 

[Davehiker]

White-faced hornet

Here's a Wikipedia article on the Bald-faced Hornet, Dolichovespula maculata. They're common in these parts, and fairly aggressive. Their nests are more prominent this time of the year now that the leaves are gone. Later, they may be eaten by birds, and only shreds will remain.
They also build nests (usually smaller ones) closer to the ground in bushes. When you brush the bush while mowing your lawn you get a big thrill! Those suckers really hurt!

 

[Jason Berard]

I agree. Bald faced Hornet. I'm allergic to wasps,( carry an epi-pen), so I try to keep tabs on where they live.

 

[Rick]

Yes, Bald Faced Hornets, very aggressive. Nests generally get larger and more prominent in late summer. Same family as yellow-jackets, people call them wasps, but they are really hornets. Kind of a different Genus (IIRC).

Typically YJs nest in the ground or in wall voids, whereas the BFH will almost always build the same style nest on a branch.

For years in pest control, We used cyanide mixed with Sevin in a dust form to kill them, applied with a long copper pipe and foot pump duster. The cyanogas would knock them down quickly and the Sevin would give a residual action for any larvae. Very beneficial pest for pest control operators - 20 minutes of work affords a $75 payday. Late summer with Hornets were always like a bonus month.

I have heard too many stories about people getting hurt and stung using gas, liquid sprays or ::gasp:: rocks/sticks to knock it down.

Nowadays, If I find a nest in late fall or winter I will usually destroy it or burn it, but otherwise, they don't re-use them and the queen usually goes somewhere else to overwinter. I have heard stories about people bringing what they think is a dead nest indoors in the winter, only to have some BFH come to life and fly around the house. I don't know if it is true or an old wives tale.

BTW, Wasps and hornets will sting repeatedly, unlike honeybees that lose their stinger on you with the first sting....

 

[hikerfast]

I can ASSURE you those things will come out of the nest in the winter inside your house!! me and my brother...6th grade..been there, done that. it was unbelievable!

 

[forestgnome]

Gotta love VFTT!

I assume wasps when I see these. Often the best way to get info is to post here because someone on VFTT will be knowledgable and provide links. It's much better than searching based on guesses.

The excellent article linked by Davehiker warns repeatedly about the aggressiveness of the BFH, and that they go for the face if their nest is disturbed.

Bushwackers, beware!

happy trails

 

[TDawg]

Got the short end of the stick with these suckers while painting.I was standing in a rhododendron bush inches from their grapefruit sized nest. Blasted the little bastards out with a power washer after receiving 5 quick stings.

There's actually a big nest down the street from me hanging right on the side of the road (Mt. Prospect St. in Holderness.)

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Yes, Bald Faced Hornets, very aggressive. Nests generally get larger and more prominent in late summer. Same family as yellow-jackets, people call them wasps, but they are really hornets. Kind of a different Genus (IIRC).

From DaveHiker's Wikipedia link:

Dolichovespula maculata is a North American insect which, despite commonly being called the bald-faced hornet (or white-faced hornet), is not a true hornet at all. It belongs to a genus of wasps called yellowjackets in North America, and is more distantly related to true hornets like the Asian giant hornet or European hornet, but the term "hornet" is often used colloquially to refer to any vespine with an exposed aerial nest.

This says they are a wasp, like the yellowjacket.

Typically YJs nest in the ground or in wall voids, whereas the BFH will almost always build the same style nest on a branch

Yes, mowing one's lawn will often reveal these voids in the ground. They do hurt when you get stung a bunch of times.

In comparison, I've been washing my house for years and the paper wasps live behind the shutters, and in the voids in the rock wall, and far outnumber the yellow jackets, but I've never been stung. In fact one May when Amanda was 8 months old, I carried her out to get the morning paper and there was a paper wasp nest in the paper box. One came out on the paper and then jumped on her head, walked around for a bit, and eventually I was able to scrape it off and neither of us got stung.

Tim

 

[Rick]

Yikes.... Mea culpa. Hornet vs. wasp. I seemed to recall they (BFH & YJs) were in the same family as the European hornet. Too many years ago...Shoulda checked Wiki instead of going of old memories!!!!

 

[NewHampshire]

I was out squirrel hunting one day. I am standing in a small clearing minding my own business when all of a sudden YEEEEOOOOWWWWWW!!!!! Heavily armed man vs. hornet....and the hornet won. I ran as fast as I ever have in my life, repeatedly getting stung all the way until, I assume, the hornet got bored or quit because it was laughing so hard.

Brian

 

[Puck]

Squirrels will avoid these things. Alot of song bird's nests are raided by squirrels. The Red Eyed Vireo will use strips of material from wasp nest to build thier own nest. To a squirrel it looks like trouble and they find a meal elsewhere.

(Some useless info while you have your coffee)

 

[SAR-EMT40]

Twice I have seen birds (don't know what type) shredding Bald faced hornet’s nests. I assumed to eat the larva. What I didn't know is why the hornets were not attacking them. Either they were all gone or the nest was dormant. I don't know.

Keith

 

[MichaelJ]

I just noticed the remains of part of one of these fallen in the backyard a few days ago. It's now buried under the snow.

 

[Bob Kittredge]

I blundered on a small (soft-ball size) BFH nest in my yew bushes and was lucky to only be stung once. Right on the knuckle of my ring finger. Fortunately I thought to pull off my ring before the finger started to swell. After a day the swelling subsided, but in another day it started to swell again and got to looking really red and angry. The doc said it had gotten infected and put me on antibiotics which took care of it.

 

[brianW]

When I lived in New Hampshire I once saw a flock of crows tear one apart and eat the larva/adults. This was in the late fall and it was arourn the freezing point.