Bald Faced Hornets pose a threat to any household and especially when they decide to make their nest right in your backyard or on your porch or patio. For those with children, the elderly, or others who may be allergic to hornets; you don’t want to have these aggressive insects buzzing around your home. A-Tex Pest Management will share more about the bald-faced hornet and how you can defend your home and yard from their intrusion.
Bald-Faced Hornet Identification
The bald-faced hornet is found throughout North America and Canada. The bald-faced hornet's body is mostly black with either a white or yellow face and striped at the end of their abdomen. It is the white or yellow heads that gave them the name bald-faced hornet. This species of hornet can grow up to ¾ of an inch in length. However, the queens are nearly double in size with the same coloring. However, one major trait that worker bald-faced hornets have is tiny hairs that cover their entire body where the queens do not.
Bald-Faced Hornet Nests
Bald-faced hornets build a paper-like nest that houses the queen and her eggs. Bald-faced hornet nests have been known to reach up to 14 inches wide and 23 inches long. This provides space for a colony size of up to 700 members. We often find nests in trees, bushes, large rocky areas, and overhanging ledges on structures. Worker bald-faced hornets are very aggressive, especially when the nest becomes large enough to accommodate up to 700 members. This can prove to be a serious problem if it is found too close to human establishments.
Worker Bald Faced Hornets
One major interesting fact about bald-faced hornets is that their workers are both male and female. Most females are born sterile and the few that are not will become future queens of their own colony. Once a fertile female is born, she will remain with the colony until she is fully matured. After mating, she will leave the nest to begin her new life as the queen of her own colony. However, a fully matured female usually isn’t ready to leave the nest until late autumn where she will hibernate until spring. Early spring is when homeowners will want to keep a special eye out for queen bald face hornets as they begin building their nest. It is much easier to deal with a single queen than a whole colony of workers.
Remove Water Sources that Pests Are Attracted To
If you see signs that a queen is beginning to build her nest, it is best to try to knock it down to discourage her from building her home too close to your home. She may attempt to continue to build her nest but after you repeatedly remove it, she will venture somewhere else. It also helps not to have standing water that is easily accessed by bald face hornets. Bald-faced hornets use saliva and chewed wood fibers to build their nest. Therefore they need water to maintain enough saliva to build their nest. However, if you have discovered a larger nest, you may want to contact a professional pest control company. A large colony of workers will aggressively defend their nest.
Bald-Faced Hornet Inspections, Prevention, Control & Extermination in Austin, Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville & Cedar Park, Texas
If you find that you have hornets or wasps nests near your home contact A-Tex Pest Management. We can help make your home and yard safer from these stinging pests. Through our services, we can completely safeguard your home from any pest invader. Contact A-Tex Pest Management today to be pest-free.