bald faced hornets

I learned a "new" name of a type of hornet in the world of entomology, a bald faced hornet, Dolichovespula maculata.

My husband noticed a hornet flying around in the house. Of course it was my job to "get it."

Once in awhile we will get one or two of these uninvited invaders in our house during the summer months.

Early spring I will check around the eaves on the south-east side of the house and I will find a small paper hornet's nest starting to be built. Early morning or on a cold rainy day I will knock it off and spray the nest with bleach.

The hornets started getting smart.

They were building nests up near the roof that was too hard for me to safely reach. I saw two nests being built. I had successfully knocked down a third nest.

However.

I just happen to look out the front door and saw this giant nest the size of melon hanging from my awning. I was so preoccupied with checking the eaves that I had not noticed this mother ship being built.

I gasped.

My husband had a brillant idea that poking the nest with stick would cause the hornets to vacate the nest.

Right.

I grabbed him and pulled him in the house.

Those hornets were really really pissed.

The nest cover was exposed and you could see the worker hornets, the humongous queen and..drum roll , please...the eggs and wiggling larvaes.

Gag.

When in danger the hornets release a pheromone to alert their woodland "buddies" to "help them" out.

There was a hundred of them.

I couldn't sleep that night worried shit-less about those nasties.I could hear them buzzing. I kept thinking about a scary movie I saw a few years ago called "the Wicker Man" which involved bees.

I called the local "bee buster" guys first thing in the morning.(I left a message on their phone at 6:30am. I was freaking out)

They got rid of all the nests.

Believe me, it was money worth spent.

Brrrrrr.....