While picking apples I disturbed this Whiteface hornets nest . They immediately attacked me stinging me in the face , hands and back . I ran screaming and stripping off my hornet filled shirt. Fortunately my wife was far enough back to avoid being attacked. The tree is filled with prime apples and I’m determined to harvest them without resorting to poison sprays. I’m contemplating removing the branch in the dark and letting nest fall to the ground and dealing with it the next night . Their sting is extremely painful.
by 1Vermontfarmer
22 Comments
Smoke them out to make them docile/tired, and fill their available nest holes with soapy water. Rinse tree to finish.
That’s one prickly apple
Birdshot shotgunshell clears them nicely
Checkout the prices those nests are selling for on eBay. I’ve seen them as high as $500. My uncle has over a dozen he’s hung in his pole barn.
If it’s low enough you can buy hornet and wasp killer that shoots a 20+ foot stream and kills them instantly. We have a large one in our orchard right now that I’ve chosen to just work around let them do their thing.
The good news is that the wasp poison is not toxic to people. It’s made from chrysanthemum flowers.
You might try that new paper bag method and see if it works.
how obstructed is the nest?
someone can be underneath with a trash bag and someone else snips the branch for it wall into the bag. then you just burn or let them suffocate.
Super soaker full of rubbing alcohol (but don’t ignite)? I’ve used gasoline before but wouldn’t around plants.
👀 everybody goes to sleep by 8/830 pm … gettum with the vinegar or soap water … soak the hive then see if they’re alive in the morning.
What if you lit it on fire? I would expect/hope that the papery nest would burn easily, but not hot enough to risk setting the tree ablaze (though maybe have a hose/fire extinguisher on hand in case)
I find a shotgun is an appropriate solution to a lot of homestead/farm/orchard/garden problems.
Have you tried going to your local courthouse to file an eviction?
When I was a kid I climbed a tree and got one down in the winter and brought it up to my room, My dad found it and was pissed and threw it outside. It broke, still had wasp in it. I thought they all died in the winter
Get the shotty
Those hornets are probably why your apples are so nice in that area.
white-faced (bald-faced) hornets are beneficial to gardens because they eat garden pests, such as caterpillars and aphids. They are predatory wasps that hunt and kill various insects to feed their larvae, and they also consume nectar and fruit for energy as adults. Their role in consuming pest insects makes them valuable garden guardians,
My neighbor has one above his dining table and it has to be 2 1/2’ across it’s massive.
If you take a 5G bucket with like half a G of gasoline and hold it up under them they’ll all start falling into it
Just a helpful tip. Wasps and hornets can see white light and if disturbed will attack the source. I got stung on the hand loading the light that way. But they can not see red light. I used to work a red light when dealing with the flying assholes. I’ve never been stung since I started using a red light.
Maybe see if a local beekeeper would be interested in relocating them. They are decent pest control
Ma! Get the gun!
Why not get your prime apples at night and let these ladies hold their niche in the eco system. They prey on problem insects and are pollinators. They help that apple tree bear fruit. But you do you.