Treevet's big bald faced hornet adventure

Toomuchsawdust said:
Last nest I got with 6 ft of it then unloaded 2 cans of wasp killer into it. Didn't get stung once. Lol.
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That is just so much bullshit. I have tried that numerous times and it don't work with white faced hornets. They just fly right thru the cloud. If you are on the ground maybe, hit the hole with a straight shot and run like your mommy is calling you in for a big plate of spaghetti. Come back later...much later.
 
treevet said:
That is just so much bullshit. I have tried that numerous times and it don't work with white faced hornets. They just fly right thru the cloud. If you are on the ground maybe, hit the hole with a straight shot and run like your mommy is calling you in for a big plate of spaghetti. Come back later...much later.
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Lol. It was a big nest of Bald Faced Fuckers. I have pictures if you need proof.
 
Nish said:
Or maybe just a cold, Fall morning?

I'd love to know a good way of dealing with these nests, as a climber (without a crane). I appreciate the discussion.
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A few years ago I had a high dollah td and bang...there is one in it. I tried the sprays and had a direct spray can and a fog can in the other hand for those that got away. Shot right into the hole and out they come, shot the fog on them and they fly right thru it, totally unfazed. Got stung many times. So I put the job off til a freeze. Later, I go in the back yard and they are active on a very cold fall morning.

I decide to go up in the tree and pole clip off the nest as it was standing free of the branch. The plan was for it to fall in a garbage can and the gm put the lid on real fast and ...problem solved. I clipped, the nest hit the rim and knocked over the can and the gm ran way into the next yard. Instead of rappelling thru and into the swarm I decide to climb to the top of the tree and hide as it was quite tall.

After a short time one zoomed past my face, then another and another and then they started tagging me and I had to rappel down right thru the swarm and got tore up.

I have wondered if a honey bee keeper's suit might work but they would likely sting right thru it when the honey bees can't as I have rescued a honeybee swarm with an expert once.
 
treevet said:
Now THAT makes sense...I posted before seeing yours. But I got stung many times thru my clothes. Better be layered up. I still have my doubts about the sprays tho.
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Not all sprays are created equal. Or gasoline. If the gas doesn't kill them, the fire will. Lol.

If you have a friend that's an exterminator, they have the good shit.
 
Toomuchsawdust said:
If you have a friend that's an exterminator, they have the good shit
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Yes, just as there's a grizzly bear version of pepper spray, maybe there's pro version of wasp/hornet spray. I'd like to find this. Maybe someone can develop a hornet busting projectile for my APTA.

treevet said:
I have wondered if a honey bee keeper's suit might work but they would likely sting right thru it when the honey bees can't as I have rescued a honeybee swarm with an expert once.
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It looks like bee keeper suits work by keeping a lot of baggy air space between the suit and the wearer, which wouldn't work with a climbing harness.
 
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Generally the "guard" bees hit the road even before the commotion. They tag the suspect and put the pheromone on you and then the others that escaped prior to the gassing have you in their sights. In this case you need the fog one and they won't drop to the ground with their legs up from this spray, no matter what...believe me. Ofcourse fire will work but then you get stung in a law suit likely.
 
Eh. Call it bullshit or what you want, but I've seen several bald faced hornets meet their demise by calmly walking up to them with proper spray (not raid from wallyworld) and cutting loose right at the hole.

Some sort of foaming spray my buddy gave me a case of that was an exterminator.


Got rid of two here at the house like that.


Also been within 4-5ft, calmly, of nests before I realized they were there (two in spruce, a couple in crab apple trees) and they never paid no mind.

Eagerly awaiting the bullshit call. No proof, but I reckon I felt like I didn't need it (still don't, cause I don't give a shit), because it wasn't a big deal.

I figure hornets and wasps are about like most any other critter, stumble into em and surprise them, they'll be pissed. Act excited and they'll get excited.


Sure there are exceptions, but getting within 5-6ft of a bald faced hornets nest without getting popped isn't too unbelievable.
 
JustinK said:
Sure there are exceptions, but getting within 5-6ft of a bald faced hornets nest without getting popped isn't too unbelievable.
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No doubt. When I got it, I was 80% done with deadwooding a small green ash in the bucket. Top half was dead, bottom (where the nest was) was totally green. Must've finally dropped a branch too close to the nest.

(FYI, this was 2 years ago and we began Treeage soon after the deadwooding. I was skeptical, but the tree looks really great now. Suckers fighting to establish a dominant leader, really lush. Just repeated treatment a couple months ago.)
 
No offense @treevet but you seem to have an energy that just attracts the attack. I've lived with wasp nests all around my cabin for over 7 summers now and have only been stung once which I deserved.

The only time I was near a bald face hornet nest was during a crane removal. The log was in the middle of a giant rhododendrun. After I set the choker, I rappelled down into the rhody and glanced to the right. There was a basketball size nest about 3 feet away. I dropped out of the tree and didn't get stung once. The crane operator was ok with us taking a large pick so we thankfully didn't have to deal with the hornets.

I used to be more aggressive and got stung pretty regularly. These days it is a rare occurrence.
 
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