Dealing with hornets

[MushCreek]

What with the mild winter, there seems to be a bumper crop of wasps and hornets this year. Since I'm camping on my property and building a house, there's no avoiding them. The big problem is a nest of giant hornets near some of my lumber. I don't know what they are, but they look like a yellow jacket, only 2" long. A friend called them 'Japanese hornets'. I've been trying to eradicate them with little luck. They are inside a hollow tree, and wasp spray only works if you really soak them. I'm sure I've killed a few, but there are plenty more, and of course, they don't like me now.

Google advice says to spray them at night, but these hornets seem just as active in the dark, whether 11 PM or 4 AM.

What do you recommend? How do i get close enough to launch an attack? They have a stinger 1/4" long, so i don't want to get attacked by the whole nest! If I didn't need the lumber (soon) I'd ignore them.

[foxtrapper]

That does sound like the asian giant hornet. They aren't supposed to be here, but there have been documented cases. Pretty sure one time I dealt with them much further north than they are supposed to be able to come.

I did the job suited up in my bee suit. Still gave me the willies, watching their stingers poke in through the mess, literally dripping venom. I did not get stung, but I rather suspect it hurts like the dickens. So I would suggest not doing the job without a bee suit.

For large jobs, I use my 5 gallon backpack sprayer with pyrethrin, and a can of wasp spray. The can of spray is to knock down those flying. The big sprayer of pyrethrin is to soak the nest with.

I've done well in trees and walls and such by drilling holes or working from the top, and soaking down the nest. Not damping, but soaking. It doesn't take but a few minutes. Those few minutes can be mighty exciting.

Distractors can work remarkably well. Don't know if they see in color or not, but I've noticed a red shop rag attracts them (and other wasps), and they tend to go and try to sting the heck out of the red rag, while comparatively ignoring me. Course, that also means they are out of the nest.

[Big Dave]

Bulldozer tub grinder combo would work.

[chickenista]

We have them up here as well.
They are devastating.
They took out all of my bumble bees, carpenter bees and other pollinators and, the worst!!.. they killed all of my writing spiders! I had almost 20 of them that I had hand fed all summer and the hornets systematically hunted each one down and killed her.
It was horrible to see.
There are even stories of them taking out hummingbirds.

The most effective way to kill the nest is by feeding them poisoned meat.
(this will work on any meat eating 'bee'..yellow jackets, hornets etc..

Place (in a secure location away from any pets or livestock.. we use a live trap) a plate with some ground beef on it. Drizzle the ground beef with some Frontline and let them have at it. They tear off chunks and carry it back to the nest where everyone happily feasts and dies. Others have used other types of pesticides.. super stron liquid Seven (that I don't even think you can get anymore) and I have been tempted to tap into my super strong nicotine tea.

That should do it. Worked wonders for my brother's nest and in very short order too.
We need to set out some for the stupid yellow jackets.

Added point.. in this time of summer, the pollinators slow down a bit and the meat eaters ramp it up. There are fewer caterpillars etc.. so they really go for an especially laid out feast!

[fishhead]

If they are meat eaters you could try a method that works on yellow jackets.

Almost fill an ice cream pail up to within 3" of the top with water. Add a few drops of dish soap to the water. Then hang some bacon or other meat on the edge of the pail.

They eat and the last thing they do before going back to the nest is try and get a drink. There is no surface tension because of the soap and they fall in and drown.

I've used it on yellow jackets and it does work.

[OkieDavid]

If the entrance is low enough to reach from the ground you can wrap the entrance with saran type cling wrap or duct tape and trash bag. Caution - only get one shot at it so focus and get it right. I would only attempt a hornet nest at night. Once you get it wrapped securely, just walk away. If they can't get to water they will quickly overheat and perish.

Someone will invariably come along to criticize but another way is a pump up sprayer with gasoline.....