Because of their intimidating appearance and painful stings, many people are afraid of finding a hornet, or worse, a hornet nest, on their property. If think you’ve identified a hornet nest somewhere on your property, there are a few things you need to know about these pests before the hornet removal process gets underway:
- Behavior–To create a nest, hornets will use their saliva combined with wood fibers they gather. While they are building their nest, you might see an abundance of hornets scraping away at a wood fence or the side of a wooden building to collect material. Although hornets do have a painful sting, the need for hornet removal can be delayed if they prove to be helpful in controlling insects that would otherwise become pests.
- Appearance–The two most common types of hornets we encounter on hornet removal jobs are European hornets and baldfaced hornets. European hornets have two sets of wings, six legs, and a reddish-brown abdomen. Comparatively, baldfaced hornets are similar to yellow jackets, but they have whitish markings throughout their body.
- Reproduction–Hornet queens typically start to lay their eggs mid to late summer, and by the time spring arrives, the ability for the queen and her eggs to survive the winter will determine how large the hornet swarms become. After the eggs have hatched, the hornets become nest builders, food gatherers, and protectors for the colony.