Help!! Giant Hornets Invading!
September 6th, 2008 | By Kendra
Here’s the one we found inside!
Any Advice??
A couple of days ago I was outside with the kids, playing in the yard. I happened to look up towards a window in our home, and quickly noticed that there were a bunch of really big bees buzzing busily inside. I walked a little closer, and realized that the whole inside of the window was absolutely crawling with these enourmous bugs! This is a window that has been boarded up from the inside, so we hadn’t even realized that they were there before. I told my husband about the giants I saw when he got home.
The next evening, me and the kids had just come in the door, when my daughter (who is obsessed with bugs), spotted a big one on the curtain and tried to catch it. When my husband turned to see what it was he quickly realized that it was a giant hornet that she was after! I grabbed the kids and shut ourselves in Jada’s bedroom while hubby not-so-fearlessly did his best to smack the hornet with my flip flop. Not sure exactly what happened, but I heard lots of yelling and stomping around. (Goof ball!) He finally whacked the thing and sent it buzzing downward, but then he lost it. We looked all over the floor to find the body, but it was nowhere to be found. We went to bed praying that it was dead, and that it would not find it’s way into the children’s bedrooms.
The next morning I found it, dead on the floor just outside my daughter’s bedroom. I called an exterminator. I called several. Everybody wanted $150 to come out and spray them! I don’t have an extra hundred something bucks just laying around! But I have to get these things taken care of. They will only get worse, and the kids could be in serious danger if stung! My husband has been calling them Japanese Hornets. After looking online though, I’m pretty sure they are European Hornets. Either way, their stings can be fatal.
So, does anybody know any way I can get rid of these things myself? I’ve tried putting out a soda bottle filled with soapy sugar water. I don’t think I’ve caught anything in it yet. Is there anything else that I can do besides spray them myself. I’m not trying to get stung either! Please, if you have any advice, I could really use it! Thanks,
Says:
I want to say the reason we started cleaning with vinegar was a bug issue… can’t remember exactly. There might be some remedy out there regarding vinegar. I hope that helps a little. Good luck!
September 6th, 2008 at 9:44 amSays:
Wasp & Hornet Spray, available at any Builder Supply. Spray late in evening when all are on nest.
September 6th, 2008 at 1:44 pmSays:
Oh I am sorry I don’t have any advice for you, but I hope you figure out something soon!
September 6th, 2008 at 1:57 pmSays:
Yikers!! I especially hate bugs that sting! My hubby has used Ortho Home Defense several times when we’ve had issues with creapy crawlies, and it works like a charm. I know you said you don’t want to spray, but that’s probably the fastest way to get rid of them for good. Good luck! Hope no one gets stung!!!
September 6th, 2008 at 4:36 pmSays:
I know a commerical exterminator and he likes to personally use friendlier things at home…he told me LEMON dishsoap will do the trick!
September 6th, 2008 at 6:37 pmSays:
Hi Kendra,
September 6th, 2008 at 7:06 pmWell, my husband said if you lived close by that he would do it but I don’t think you are close so he advised either calling your local county extention office to see what they have to say – you might be able to get free help. Other option is to pick up some hornet and wasp spray that can be mixed with your garden hose and spray the *heck* out of the area and then come back with the spray cans and keep spraying every week until you no longer see them. You should also spray around the area inside the house where the window is boarded up.
Good Luck,
Nancy
Says:
Good grief, honey, get some Ortho Home Defense and get that hubby out there spraying his little heart out! Spraying some bug spray one time is certainly worth keeping your precious little ones safe! And I think it is only around twenty dollars.
I know how scary it is to have a buggy situation like that. The house I grew up in had black widow spiders in it once. My dad has a 5-inch-diameter crater in his back from having and inch-and-a-half down of skin and tissue removed due to spider poison. He’s fine now, but his back looks awful.
September 6th, 2008 at 9:57 pmSays:
I had an issue with wasps (or some other flying stinging insect) in my spruce trees. I got one of those traps that attract the buggers and it’s worked like a charm. You can even re-activate it with apple juice or meat (depending on the time of the year). I bought the trap at Wal-Mart in the garden section. I hope you find a solution soon!!!!
September 7th, 2008 at 3:05 pmSays:
BUMMER! At least it’s not centipedes!!! BUT I have heard that for wasps – spray them down with water in the evening because they will cling to their nest and not leave at night. Then stomp the crap out of them. But you have to find the nest…
My rule of thumb is this cause I always feel bad about killing things – even bugs: If it’s in our home, tent, car, etc. it is in our domain and they don’t belong or if they can hurt my family – kill it. SO KILL AWAY, SISTA!!!
September 7th, 2008 at 9:45 pmSays:
That is a yellow Jacket also know as a bald-face hornet. They normall build those big cone shaped nests. But sometimes will build a nest in a wall. Or like in your window. Where there is room.
Here is a link about them.
http://www.masterbeekeeper.org/stinging/aerialyellowjackets.htm
Spray with a good hornet spay at night when they are all in the nest. Then watch it for a day or so to make sure they are not comming out.
I would take the board off the window if you can and clean out the nest.
Here is a link that tells you how to get rid of these bees and what to use. http://www.timemist.com/proexterminator/wasp.php4
If you have a 4H extension office near you. You can call them and see if they have any suggestions. Or a Entomoloy club. They might be able to help. Or someone might be willing to come out and help get rid of the nest.
Hope this helps.
September 8th, 2008 at 8:08 pmSays:
I’m sure you’ve done tons of google research….but was curious as to what a European Hornet was and this was a fascinating .pdf file.
http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/spfiles/SP290-A.pdf
Keep us posted on how it goes, Kendra!
)
In Him
September 9th, 2008 at 12:52 amSays:
Check out this awesome site – Whatsthatbug.com
Scroll down this link – Did the hornet have a red head?? I think it looks a lot like the Giant Hornet, like you thought.
http://whatsthatbug.com/wasps_2.html
According to Wikipedia, the fatal sting thing is just an urban legend.
This site calls them the gentle giants!
http://www.muenster.org/hornissenschutz/hornets2.htm
I’d still be trying to get rid of them… but I hope you can relax and not panic as much!!
September 9th, 2008 at 10:06 amSays:
We had a bunch of hornets buzzing around an overgrown bush in our yard. I couldn’t see a nest but was quite positive there was either one there or they were working on one.
Our landlord used diesel fuel. He threw it on there and a few days later came back and pulled the bush out. HTH
September 9th, 2008 at 5:28 pm