What kind of bees?

[Tiempo]

I'm posting her instead of the bee forum as they aren't honey bees, and I figured I might get more traffic.

The nest is in a shrub close to the ground that has to come out as I'm prepping the area for fruit trees.

It's a paper nest, a little smaller than a football and the bees look like smallish (bigger than a honey bee, smaller than a bumble bee), black hairy bumble bees with white butts

Anyone know what they are?

[Tiempo]

Well, after a bit of googling, it seems they are most likely bald faced hornets. Weird, they look more like bees than wasps (they're chubby)

I'll probably leave the nest alone until after frost, then take it down after they quit it, as from what I've read they are beneficial.

[Bill W.]

I just did a little article on bald-faced hornets. Maybe this will help:

Link

[Beeman]

Hornets and you've never been stung with anything until you get stung by a hornet. I would eliminate them.