# Woah! Big hornet nest, what do I do? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 7, 2007, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900 "2007-07-07T21:22:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![whistlepig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@whistlepig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whistlepig)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/1 "2007-07-07T21:22:11Z")
I just looked up under the eaves of my garage and there is a hornet nest that is about twice as big as a softball. It has plenty of hornets crawling in and out. I’d seen a few around but I don’t want this many. I’m feeling a little inadequate with my 16 oz can of hornet spray. What do I do? Live and let live is not an option - I have a slight allergy to hornets and a friend who sometimes visits has the “hope we can make it to the emergency room in time” level of allergy. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/2 "2007-07-07T21:25:30Z")
Ok, pick a friend who you don’t really care for, get a huge hefty black garbage bag and…_ouch_…the wife just hit me, so don’t go with what I was saying… In all honesty, the real way is spray the shit out of it with the hornet spray and let it sit or rumble as it may well do, and then knock it down. It will take a while to kill all of them, but even new comers won’t enter a newly sprayed nest. So spray away and then back away for at least an hour. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/3 "2007-07-07T21:26:08Z")
Wait until after dark and the hornets have all gone to bed. Then use your can of hornet spray (maybe get a second one, too) and really saturate the nest. That should do it. ---
**Author:** ![Jubilant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce7236/32.png) [@Jubilant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jubilant)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/4 "2007-07-07T21:26:41Z")
I get them all the time. Just knock it down with a broomstick. If you wait until the coldest part of the day/evening there will be the fewest to worry you, but they won’t sting. That’s cartoon stuff. Usually they won’t come back right away in the same spot. They really prefer trees. But you can spray. Most garden shops have special sprays for wasps, and I recommend the kind that are not poisonous to humans and pets. I think it contains pepermint oil. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/5 "2007-07-07T21:27:47Z")
[This site](http://www.pestcontrolcanada.com/INSECTS/wasp_and_hornet_control.htm) suggests hiring a professional. We’ve knocked down small nests without incident (ping pong ball size), but I wouldn’t mess with anything as big as yours. If you decide to spray, cover yourself. ---
**Author:** ![whistlepig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@whistlepig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whistlepig)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/6 "2007-07-07T21:28:56Z")
Never mind. I forgot to research first and THEN see if you need to post. I found a chemical warfare article that said what to do. Tomorrow after dusk I launch the attack. Thanks for the replies. ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/7 "2007-07-07T22:16:22Z")
Garden hose works as well. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/8 "2007-07-07T22:27:45Z")
Whatever you decide to do, make sure you have the Benny Hill theme song playing loudly in the background. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/9 "2007-07-07T22:29:51Z")
Buy a new can of hornet/wasp spray. The spray should be the “foam” type, and should be able to shoot a very long stream. (The foam will prevent some of the hornets from flying.) After the sun has set, stand about twenty feet away from the nest and spray the sh\*t out of it. And then run like hell. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/10 "2007-07-07T22:43:51Z")
No way. Call a professional. That’s waaaay too scary! Signed, Kalhoun (who had a 12 ft tall honeycomb full o’ bees in her wall) ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/11 "2007-07-07T23:10:04Z")
It may be the curtain thread we had a while ago that is keeping people’s spirits down, but I am surprised nobody has mentioned matches in combination with the spray. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/12 "2007-07-07T23:16:20Z")
Step 1. Apply Baseball Bat to the nest Step 2. Run like Hell ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Pumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/13 "2007-07-07T23:40:11Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] Signed, Kalhoun (who had a 12 ft tall honeycomb full o’ bees in her wall) [/QUOTE] :eek: Wha…? How..? TWELVE FEET!!! ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/14 "2007-07-08T00:44:27Z")
Move house. Failing that, call in a pro. We had a massive wasps nest in the loft, had the man from the council come round and deal with it. They got very angry before they died. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/15 "2007-07-08T00:54:08Z")
Take off and Nuke from orbit…you know the rest Another vote for letting the pros from Dover deal with it. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/16 "2007-07-08T01:18:29Z")
I don’t know about hornets, but wasps can and do come back to a nesting site…even after you’ve sprayed. I would go with the pros, too. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/17 "2007-07-08T02:38:44Z")
You can do what my Dad and Grandpa would do: a) Each of you take one of those 1/4" wide utilitarian orangeish-brown rubber bands and cut it so it’s a line and not a continuous loop any more. b) Turn on the garden hose and spray the everlovin’ shit out of the nest at midday while they’re all wide awake c) With your rubber bands, snap the pissed-off hornets out of the air as they fly around you attempting to sting you, until they are all dead. You hold one end way out in front of you in one hand, while pulling the other end back around your ear and… well, when THEY did it and they let go, bugs get splatted in mid-air; when I try it, the hand in front gets the everlovin’ shit snapped out of it by the released end. Yes, they really did do that, on several occasions, and rarely got stung. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/18 "2007-07-08T03:57:04Z")
The key here is what you described as a “slight allergy to hornets”. If you’re already sensitized to stings, the next one(s) could result in a more serious reaction, on up to an anaphylactic response. The sensible thing to do in the case of a big nest is to either get a professional to deal with it, or have a friend who hasn’t had a problem with stings use one of the commercial power-spray bee killer canisters, to douse the nest after the critters have gone to bed (offering a six-pack in return would be a nice gesture). ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/19 "2007-07-08T05:21:45Z")
[QUOTE=AHunter3] You can do what my Dad and Grandpa would do: a) Each of you take one of those 1/4" wide utilitarian orangeish-brown rubber bands and cut it so it’s a line and not a continuous loop any more. b) Turn on the garden hose and spray the everlovin’ shit out of the nest at midday while they’re all wide awake c) With your rubber bands, snap the pissed-off hornets out of the air as they fly around you attempting to sting you, until they are all dead. You hold one end way out in front of you in one hand, while pulling the other end back around your ear and… well, when THEY did it and they let go, bugs get splatted in mid-air; when I try it, the hand in front gets the everlovin’ shit snapped out of it by the released end. Yes, they really did do that, on several occasions, and rarely got stung. [/QUOTE] Holy mackerel. :eek: Did they also hunt grizzly bear with a stick? I would think a tennis racket might work pretty well on a hornet, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900/20 "2007-07-08T05:30:54Z")
Yes, spray it after it gets cold. Do wear protective gear- gloves, long sleeved pants and shirt, dust mask, goggles, hat. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woah-big-hornet-nest-what-do-i-do/410900.md?page=2)