Dealing With Bald-Faced Hornet Nests In Your Garage
Finding insect pests in your garage is never a pleasant experience, but if your garage has been invaded by bald-faced hornets, the situation can go from unpleasant to dangerous very quickly.
How Can You Recognize Bald-Faced Hornets And Their Nests?
Bald-faced hornets are not 'true' hornets but are a type of wasp related to yellowjackets. However, they are a lot bigger than yellowjackets and most other stinging insects and may come close to an inch in length. They have a distinctive black-and-white coloration, including a prominent white head that gives the species its name.
Their nests are round, grey, papery hives that look very similar to yellowjacket and paper wasp nests. However, they can grow a lot larger, sometimes several feet in diameter.
Why Are Bald-Faced Hornets Nesting In Your Garage?
When looking for a place to construct a nest, groups of bald-faced hornets will look for a location that provides shelter from the elements and is high enough to be safely out of reach of ground predators. They construct their nests by chewing and regurgitating wood, creating a papier-mache-like substance.
Unfortunately, this makes your garage an appealing location. Bald-faced hornets may construct a nest underneath the eaves on the exterior of your garage or dangle a nest from underneath the roof itself if they can gain access to the garage. They may also use exposed roof or wall timbers as material for their nests if they have not been treated with insecticidal chemicals, causing minor but noticeable damage.
Why Are Bald-Faced Hornet Nests Dangerous?
Like yellowjackets, bald-faced hornets are both aggressive and territorial. They will swarm and sting anything or anyone that disturbs their nest and frequently attack people and animals just for coming within a few feet of their nest. Unlike honeybees, they do not die after stinging, so even a single hornet can leave you with multiple stings.
Bald-faced hornet stings can be a lot more painful than bee or wasp stings and carry the same risks of dangerous allergic reactions. If you are not allergic to wasp or bee stings, you may still be allergic to bald-faced hornet stings.
Even if you are not allergic to hornet venom, the effects of multiple hornet stings can leave you in a lot of pain for several hours. Children, the elderly, and pets can be especially vulnerable to the effects of multiple hornet stings.
There Is A Nest In Your Garage — What Should You Do?
Because bald-faced hornets are so aggressive, and their nests are large enough to house many insects, DIY pest control isn't really an option. While you might get away with spraying a paper wasp nest from a distance with a hose, trying to attack a bald-faced hornet nest with water or over-the-counter insecticide sprays is a quick way to get a lot of stings.
Give your garage a wide berth, and call in a professional pest control service as soon as possible. These services can use fast-acting, commercial-grade insecticidal foams and sprays. They will both kill the hornets and destroy the nest, preventing it from being reused by other hornets. They can also create 'barriers' of long-lasting insecticides, preventing hornets and other unwanted pests from invading your garage in the future.
Contact a pest control service to learn more.
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