From a distance they look like they have faces. They always take an “attack” stance. I never see them fly…they just crawl in and out from behind the shutter.
I’m a’scared.
Looks like a bald-faced hornet?
That sounds like it might be it. OMG they’re ugly. Who knows how big the nest is…I see 6 or 8 at a time. And I did see a couple of them fly just now. I fear I’ll be a prisoner in my house until dark falls and Mr. K can eliminate them.
I have some very similar ugly bastards on my back deck. For Og’s sake, stay away from them – they sting! I have a big welt on my belly from where one of them stunk me through my shirt. Little fucker.
My husband’s out of town 'til Friday night – I’ll be coming and going by way of the front door until he gets home.
Yup, hornets. Give them a wide berth. They are hunters and meat (insect) eaters, so they are not as likely as ordinary wasps to bother people eating. But the sting of a hornet hurts. I guess they have a nest behind the shutter. In this case, I’d call an professional exterminator, and not let mr K run that kind of risk.
I’m all for the saving innocent beasties, but a hornet’s flying route near your doorway can only end in tears.
Indeed. They’re closer in kin to yellowjackets than your average red wasp, and believe me, they make no bones about defending their territory. I got nailed by 5 yellowjackets at work a few weeks ago (I was walking down the tracks to throw a switch, and they love nesting in crossties) and, though I’m not allergic, they do smart.
I’m not sure it requires a professional to get rid of them. If you are allergic, I’d say call the Orkin man, but a can of 20 ft. wasp/hornet killing spray is usually enough. Be advised that, unlike red wasps, which in my experience drop and die immediately, hornets and yellowjackets don’t. The spray will kill them via residual effect, generally within an hour or so, but it will piss them off and they will be looking for someone to sting.
Try putting out flypaper near them.
Looks like a paper wasp to me…
Wait until after sunset or before sunrise to hit the nest with the 20’ spray can - they are less active and more likely to all be IN the nest when you hit it.
I’m not a fan of chemicals, and I usually let bugs do their own thing - but I keep a can of Raid Wasp and Hornet killer around just for these buggers.
This is all velly intellesting…and velly frightening. They aren’t but 12 inches from the door, and I am on Freak Alert until around 5 or 6 every night when they go into their little den of evil. We’ve got a can of stuff. I figure Mr. K can just stick his arm out the door, shoot those little fuckin’ fucker-bastids and duck back in real quick. I’ll post photos of the corpses…should we live to tell the tale.
Nice idea, but I’m too afraid to get that close and be, like, touching anything near their combat zone. They seriously look like they have it in for me.
A can of WD-40, a lighter, and a fire extinguisher are all you need. It’s the suburban equivalent of “Nuke 'em from orbit; it’s the only way to be sure.”
For the incipient Darwin Award Candidates, the above was merely a joke.
Take off and nuke the nest from orbit - it’s the only way to be sure.
Yeah, because it worked so well for Hal Briston.
Boy, ain’t that the truth! I watched them creep out through the foam! It took a while for them to die, and most of them didn’t fall out like they did with the regular ol’ wasps we sprayed earlier this summer. I think I’m going to have Mr. K unscrew the shutter from the wall so we can destroy whatever the hell it was they were building in there. Eeeeeew!
For future reference, I think it would only be fair to have given your account information to the hornets so, if things have turned out differently – remember Appalachian State’s win over Michigan – they could have posted pictures of your corpses. Just seems to be a little more sporting that way. Anyhow, congratulations on your victory. Now about those vampire bats hiding in the attic…
Yes…I’ve posted my log-in info on the eaves…they’ll let you know if we are…incapacitated…
Bats…those shaking, creepy little bastids better NOT be living in my attic! (crawls to the corner to weep…)
How is the housing market doing in your area?
You realize this was a perfect opportunity for video, not only for insurance purposes had anything gone wrong, but also for submission to America’s Funniest Home Videos, When Animals Attack, etc. Not to mention our enjoyment.
Ok, so I counted 10 corpses…but one is still pulsating!!! If he recovers, this will probably be my last post.