If hornets nest in the immediate living environment, human residents usually feel uncomfortable. Advantages in terms of the aggressiveness of the insect species are too stubborn. The fact is that hornets are more peaceful and harmless than their relatives, wasps. When not defending their nest, hornets will only sting if squeezed. They don’t aim for sweets at all. In addition, their colony is much smaller, with a maximum of 700 hornets. That said, most homeowners strive to remove a hornet’s nest. With the following tips for eliminating hornets, the plan succeeds without genocide.
Table of Contents
Characteristics
- Insect family of the wasps (Vespidae)
- Largest species within the genus of wasps (Vespinae)
- Body length of the queen: up to 38 mm
- Body length of the workers: up to 25 millimeters
- Striking yellow body markings on a dark background
- Brood diet: carnivorous (feeding on prey)
- Diet of adult hornets: carbohydrates, such as nectar, honeydew
- Average size of a colony: 300 to 400 members
- In principle, states are formed once a year
- Hornets are protected species
The life expectancy of a hornet depends on its function. While a worker lives between 2 and 6 weeks, a queen lives for an impressive 12 months. It is only the mated young queens that can survive a winter. All other members of the colony die at the latest with the first frost.
Popular locations for a hornet’s nest
In the spring, the young hornet queen goes in search of a building site for her nest. She survived the winter in a sheltered place in cold rigidity, shutting down all bodily functions to a minimum. She would prefer to nest in a tree hollow. Such luxury hostels for hornets, on the other hand, have become extremely rare. As a result of increasing urbanization, the large insects have discovered human habitation as a suitable location for their nest building. The hornet queen prefers to consider the following situations:
- Under eaves
- In the attic
- In the roller shutter box or wooden cladding
- In old sheds or garden sheds
- Preferably in birdhouses
A hornet queen develops amazing creativity on her quest. Nests have been spotted in old rubber boots, in pumpkin lanterns, and even in motorcycle helmets.
Special permit required
Since hornets are endangered, they are subject to the provisions of the Federal Nature Conservation Act. Killing the insects is therefore punished just as severely as destroying an inhabited nest. In rare exceptional cases, relocation is possible if there is a hornet’s nest in the immediate vicinity of the apartment and one of the residents is allergic to the stings of the insects.
It is therefore not recommended to remove a hornet’s nest on your own. You are on the safe side if you can demonstrate an acute risk with photos and explanations. There are good chances of success if a doctor’s certificate confirms an insect allergy. Submit the documents to the responsible office with an application for removal or relocation. As a rule, the regulatory office or the lower nature conservation authority take care of the matter. If your application is approved, you are free to remove the hornet’s nest yourself or to hire a specialist to do it.
The right protective equipment
As peaceful and timid as hornets are by nature, they are aggressive in defending their brood. For this reason, professional protective equipment is essential. Experienced hornet specialists use beekeeping equipment as a guide when putting them together.
- Protective suit with hat and veil
- Choice of protective shirt with beaded collar, beekeeping pants, pith helmet and veil
- Beekeeper Gloves
- safety goggles
- Jogging suit with long sleeves
In order to prevent the veil from detaching from the bulge of the collar by a clumsy movement, snap fasteners should also be attached for fastening. It is often perceived as a hindrance when the veil lies against the skin at the slightest gust of wind. An elastic, thin plastic cable can prevent this by pulling it inside. If you assume that the hornets will behave particularly aggressively when you eliminate the animals, put on a whiplash collar, as used in accident medicine.
It makes sense to starch the clothing before putting it on for more strength. Never fail to put on the jogging suit under the beekeeping clothes, even in warm summer weather. The beekeeper suits are designed for working with bees and cannot withstand the powerful sting of a hornet alone. The goggles in addition to the veil are recommended because enraged hornet workers are able to spray poison around flight.
Two proven resettlement methods
Administrative approval for removal usually requires that a hornet’s nest be relocated without destroying it. If you are not allergic to the bites of the insects yourself, you are free to carry out the resettlement yourself. The specific construction of the nest building, however, requires a little ingenuity to come up with a viable solution. Since the nest is relatively wide open at the bottom so that the faeces fall to the ground, it is not enough to paralyze the insects with water and throw an insect net over them. What may work for a wasp nest is out of the question for the larger relatives. The procedures presented below are based on the practical experience of experienced hornet connoisseurs.
vacuum cleaner method
An easily accessible hornet’s nest can be easily removed. Before starting the campaign, take a close look at the nesting site and the nest in order to be able to assess the current situation. In particular, observe whether there is a lot of air traffic in a certain direction. With a bit of luck, the hornets will already be too cramped at the location and they will move on their own. Since they are capable of branching, the problem would have solved itself if the new nesting site was created at a sufficient distance from the dwelling. Otherwise, gather the necessary material for the elimination of hornets.
The only option is an adjustable device. It is important to note that the suction hose is as smooth as possible on the inside so that the hornets do not injure themselves. The vacuum cleaner is set to a maximum power of 300 watts.
Here’s how to remove the hornets
- Putting on all protective equipment
- In the early morning hours, suck the nest into the catch box
- keep the catch box locked in a shady place
- Use a spatula to loosen the empty nest from the substrate
- Fasten the hornet’s nest in the nest box with wood glue
- Close the nest box again
An ideal place for the hornet nest box is a deciduous tree at the edge of a forest or in a spacious park. The new home of the insect colony is attached at a height of about 4 meters. The flight holes point to the east or south. Then place the catch box under the new nest box and release the hornets. You will get it back immediately and quickly replace the possibly damaged outer cover.
Der Fangkasten
The most important utensil is a box to catch the sucked off hornets. With a little manual skill, you can build the suction box yourself. It consists of the following components:
- Wooden box with dimensions: 200 mm wide, 220 mm deep, 250 mm high
- On the suction hose side, two bores with a cutout for a slider
- One hole each on the vacuum cleaner side and on the suction side
- Another hole is used for pressure equalization and ventilation and is covered with fly screens
- Slider to close the holes with two aluminum profiles as a guide
- Flap to release the insects
It is important to note that the hose is as tight as possible at both holes. The slide over the suction hole should move smoothly so that you can close the hole quickly when you pull out the hose because all the hornets are in the trap box.
To prevent the hornets from being sucked through the catch box into the vacuum cleaner, mount a fly screen including impact pads on the inside about 50 mm from the wall with the hose connection to the vacuum cleaner. Filter floss for aquariums is a good material for the impact cushion, because foam is quickly bitten by the hornets.
A hornet’s nest must not be directly exposed to the weather. Consequently, an enclosure must be available at the new nest site in which to house the nest after the move. The nature conservation association pleads for the ‘Münden hornet nesting box’. Detailed assembly instructions are available as a PDF download. Ready-assembled models in various sizes can be found in specialist shops. The nesting box is constructed in such a way that it accommodates the specific breeding behavior of hornets.
wire method
If the hornet’s nest breaks when you remove it, don’t worry. With the following trick you can put the nest back together so that the released hornets still find a home again.
Cut a recording board about 30-40 mm thick. Run a U-shaped, stable wire through the wood so that two long receiving rods for the individual honeycombs are created on the other side. The individual honeycomb levels are then impaled on it. Halved wine corks serve as fixation and spacers.
In the hornet nest box, the receiving board is glued to the ceiling with the corks being strong enough to hold the individual pieces. After the hornets have left the trapping box, the workers will take care of the rest of the repair work.
Thanks to the wire method, a damaged nest can continue to be used. You don’t have to worry about roaming, homeless hornets in the house and garden.
Find counselors and resettlers
Removing a hornet’s nest involves effort and risk. If you want to leave the measure to an experienced specialist, the following sources of information are available to you:
- The regional nature conservation authority
- The Nature Conservation Union
- Volunteer Advisors
- Commercial exterminator
In addition, the free Hymenoptera service database is available on the Internet. Here you select according to the type of insect and your place of residence. Clubs, authorities, offices, companies and private individuals will appear to provide you with advice and support.
Conclusion
Due to the ongoing urbanization, hornet queens are increasingly forced to establish their small state in human surroundings. If it hits your home, the first thing you should do is remain calm. Under certain circumstances it makes sense to come to terms with the hornets for the few summer months. The spook will be over by the first days of winter at the latest. If there are compelling reasons to remove a hornet’s nest, this measure is subject to approval. If the nature conservation authority complies with the request, you can remove the hornet’s nest. The vacuum cleaner method has proven itself. After that, the entire colony moves to a new nesting box after being sucked into a collecting box in a manner that is gentle on the animals. If the nest is damaged during this procedure, the wire method is used. High-quality protective clothing, which is closely based on beekeeping equipment, is indispensable for all activities. If you don’t feel comfortable getting rid of hornets yourself, there is a wide range of consultants and resettlers available.
