When do I take down a Hornets nest?

VERN in IL · #1 10/16/12, 06:06 PM

How cold does the freeze need to be, before I chop off the limb and get my prize?

**Terri** · #2 10/16/12, 06:14 PM

A true story, here!

Folks in the winter time took down a lovely paper wasp nest. Only, the wasps were hibernating.

So, they took them into the home, the wasps woke up, and they are came out GRUMPY!!!!!!!!!! Dozens and dozens of them in the home!

If you harvest a wasps nest, do NOT! depend on cold weather to kill them!

poppy · #3 10/16/12, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VERN in IL

How cold does the freeze need to be, before I chop off the limb and get my prize?

Climb up on a ladder and smack it with a stick. If none come out, you are good to go.

As noted above, I would seal it up in a large trash bag for quite a while to let the ones that are alive or hatch out a chance to die.

**Terri** · #4 10/16/12, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poppy

Climb up on a ladder and smack it with a stick. If none come out, you are good to go.

As noted above, I would seal it up in a large trash bag for quite a while to let the ones that are alive or hatch out a chance to die.

Or perhaps gently insert a no-pest strip in the entry.

braggscowboy · #5 10/16/12, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VERN in IL

How cold does the freeze need to be, before I chop off the limb and get my prize?

I have found a few on my place, but none lately. If you wait too long animals will tear them up. The way I got mine was at night with just some moon, get into position and place a large bag on the nest and then cut it off, I then placed it over an exaust on a car and let the fumes into the bag, (use cardboard or something that will not let the bag melt, tie the bag and let set a few days. You will still have some alive, but most will not be. I tried headlights once, that will get one stung a few times. Flashlight will not work either, gives them just right amount of light. Mine has been in the barn for quiet some time. The others I have found and wait to get got torn up.

Ken Scharabok · #6 10/17/12, 07:41 AM

My prize came from a branch overhanging a creek. Bigger than a football with limbs. Waited until winter then stood up on tractor seat to take it down. Kept it in barn over a spring to make sure there were no paper wasp in it. Now adorns one wall in house.

Ken Scharabok · #7 10/17/12, 07:47 AM

Nice large hornet nests have a value. Go to Electronics, Cars, Fashion, Collectibles, Coupons and More Online Shopping | eBay, Advanced search, then do a keyword search on hornet nests.

newfieannie · #8 10/17/12, 08:49 AM

oh i wouldn't get up on the ladder and whack it with a stick. i did that and didn't get down time enough to run. got stung all over. another one, the biggest i have ever seen was taking up a big part of the barn loft. i sprayed stuff in the hole and got that one out. never heard of anyone saving them. it's an idea though. ~Georgia

uncle Will in In. · #9 10/17/12, 09:16 AM

Vern <> Have a neighbor kid poke at it with a stick until the hornets all come boiling out after him. When he gets about a quarter mile away screaming like a banshe, grad the nest and run the other direction.

mildblue · #10 10/17/12, 01:19 PM

Diatomaceous earth in the opening might do some good if you can get close enough to spray now. you wouldn't have to wait for the freeze.

VERN in IL · #11 10/17/12, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Scharabok

My prize came from a branch overhanging a creek. Bigger than a football with limbs. Waited until winter then stood up on tractor seat to take it down. Kept it in barn over a spring to make sure there were no paper wasp in it. Now adorns one wall in house.

How long do they last? I don't want the nest to get damaged(elements) can it wait until it's 20* outside, they should be all dead by then. I was planning on keeping it on the garage over winter sealed in a plastic bag.

Farmer Willy · #12 10/17/12, 05:08 PM

What timing, listening to the radio this past weekend I heard the garden man talking to an entomologist (bug professor) say to wait till March to ensure they were all dead. He made a point of not cutting them down in December as there would still be live ones in the nest.

Ken Scharabok · #13 10/18/12, 03:21 AM

I've had mine on the wall for perhaps eight years now. Just a tad of deterioration (fine dust) to it.

Recall seeing some program to where a guy put a nest in a screened-in cage and provided different colored art paper to the wasps. The nest then became multi-colored. Don't recall what he fed them.

barnyardgal · #14 10/18/12, 03:31 AM

If you leave the hornets nest 'to long' the birds will tear it apart-ask me how i know~lost a real nice big nest by leaving it to long due to REAL cold weather & went back the birds had it shredded!!!! UGH!!!

ShastaBea · #15 10/18/12, 05:59 AM

Freeze it after harvest in a large bag

Micheal · #16 10/18/12, 07:26 AM

Had a neighbor who found a large nest in a tree, took a very large plastic bag, sprayed wasp/hornet spray into the bag, then cut the nest into the bag and sealed it.
About a week later his boy opened up the bag and proceeded to toss everything out - after all who would want a bag of dead wasps.........
Don't know what happened after that!

CherieOH · #17 10/18/12, 07:45 AM

I read that hornets only use a nest for one year. The queens might overwinter in the nest but they always start a new one somewhere else the next spring. So wouldn't it be safer to wait until next spring to remove the then empty nest?

**highlands** · #18 10/18/12, 09:41 AM

Our paper wasp nests are already dead. We had a few hard frosts.