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Ouch!

I've had moderate luck using a long stick to knock the nest down, and letting the skunks and whatnot take it from there.

Ginda


On Monday, August 18, 2003, at 08:09  AM, Griffin Gardens wrote:

> Good morning,
>  
> I just learned something that might be of interest to anyone having to deal with bald-faced hornets - the kind that build the Japanese lantern like nests suspended from small diameter tree branches. I have two nests in the yard: one in a basswood in an out of the way corner of the yard that is easily avoided, and the other in my ready-for-applesauce Whitney crab. I am content to let the grass grow in the basswood area, but I am out of applesauce and need to get rid of the hornets now, Whitneys being the ripe at 12:00 PM, mush by noon type apple.
>  
> What I learned is that hornets do not go into the nest on windy, humid nights with a low temp of 75 F. Rather they gather around the opening waiting in the dark for someone to come along with a can of insecticide in one hand and a flash light in the other, so they can sting him in his ample forehead when he approaches and turns on the light. Bonus lesson: this kind of weather makes hornets just as cranky as it does the humans.
>  
> I'll try the soapy water as soon as the swelling goes down if I am able to screw up my courage sufficiently.
>  
> Dave
>  
>  
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: Lon J. Rombough
> To: North American Fruit Explorers
> Sent: 8/8/03 8:18:30 PM
> Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Re: hornets and wasp
>
> One vital ingredient to using the glass jar - put it on in early morning, like just at or before sunrise.  The yellowjackets won't be active or out of the nest, especially if it's still dark.
> -Lon Rombough
>
>
>
>
> Lon has an exellent method. If you don't want to get so close to the
> stingers, flood them with soapy water. Use one of those fertilizer sprayers
> you can attach to your water hose, fill it with diluted liquid soap. When
> the critters dry out, the soap will have washed away some essential body
> oils that seal their bodies. They will dehydrate and die in a short time. Of
> course, you will be washing away some of the nutrients you built the compost
> heap for, so better use Lon's way if you can.
>
> Joyce
>
>
>
>  
>
>  
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