How to find and get rid of a hornet nest in the house (in the attic)

Many people are accustomed to thinking that hornets only cause harm. However, hornets are natural predators that can significantly reduce the number of garden pests. They help rid the area of insects, but a person can be bitten by them, and the bite will have serious consequences. Hornet nests can often be found in attics, gazebos, verandas, that is, in close proximity to human habitation. It is important to know how to avoid such proximity and properly destroy nests.

Peculiarities

Wasp stings rarely cause anything other than pain to a person.
We are talking about complications, they occur only in people with allergies. However, hornet attacks are much more sensitive and serious than wasp stings. Severe consequences of encountering these insects especially often occur in older people and children. Here are a few reasons why a hornet bite is quite dangerous:

it is considered one of the most painful among insects;
can cause an acute allergic reaction;
causes swelling and inflammation;
can cause severe poisoning of the body.

Such poisoning is characterized by: rapid heartbeat, migraines (severe pain), hemorrhages. It is even possible to experience anaphylactic shock, which requires qualified medical care.

Hornets are ready to do anything to protect their nest from uninvited guests. Any threat puts adult individuals of this insect species on alert.

As a rule, hornet attacks on humans are associated solely with the fact that they see him as a threat to their nest and swarm. They can hardly be called peace-loving insects, but when it comes to home safety, they have no equal.

How to find and eliminate a hornet nest

You definitely won’t solve the problem of hornets in your house or area if you destroy individual individuals. The remaining individuals will continue to reproduce and produce more and more offspring, there will be more and more of them. The only way to get rid of dangerous neighbors is to completely destroy their colony. You need to do everything possible to find the den, even if at first glance the hornets’ nest is not visible on the site or in the house. Quite labor-intensive, but working method:

catch one
tie a bright colored thread to it,
release the insect
follow where the thread leads.

This will allow you to find out the location of the nest. Of course, the method has many disadvantages, so you should only practice it if you are professionally involved in this.

The most popular places for housing: attics, slopes of roofs and sheds, dense trees. The hornets' nest looks like a large cocoon, so it will be difficult to miss. As a rule, it is located at a height of 6-10 meters from the ground.

Traps

Various types of insect traps have become very popular; stores offer a wide range of similar products.

But you can make them yourself without much difficulty:

Take a plastic bottle with a volume of at least 1.5 liters and cut off the top neck.
Pour aromatic bait into the prepared container, which will attract the wasp family - jam, honey, beer are suitable for this - it is best to mix these ingredients.
Insert the top of the bottle into the main part, so that the neck faces the bottom. But don't forget to remove the cover.
As an additional measure, lubricate the neck with oil.

Hornets will fly into such a ready-made trap, after which they will not be able to get out. And if some of the individuals are able to get to the neck, they will still not be able to get out, since it will have a slippery coating.

Traps are prohibited from being used in only one case - when a bee apiary is located near the site.

8 ways to destroy hornet nests

The main rule in hunting hornets is to use personal protective equipment.
Listed below are 8 effective options for solving the problem with these unpleasant insects. You can choose the one you like best, because they all have proven their effectiveness:

Kerosene or boiling water. Without removing the cocoon from the spot where it was found, dip it in a bucket of boiling water or diluted kerosene. The bucket with liquid must be raised and suspended in such a way that the liquid completely covers the nest. After 24 hours it will go limp, perhaps even fall into a bucket, and its inhabitants will die.
Aerosols. Buy several sprays of a product designed to combat flying insects. For example, Executioner, Dichlorvos, etc. Wear a protective suit and a respirator to protect your respiratory tract. Stand at the safest possible distance from the nest. Spray the product by directing the spray onto the cocoon. The lower entrance should be treated especially carefully. Try to get the product inside. Insects will die almost instantly. After some time, re-process.
Insecticides. If the hornets' nest is located in a hollow tree, buy an insecticidal preparation and place it inside the hollow. After treatment, when the insects become lethargic (die), seal the hollow with foam or apply gypsum mortar to close the passage.
Polyurethane foam. Blow out the honeycombs, entrances and exits of the nest with polyurethane foam. It quickly expands and hardens, and insects do not have time to leave their home. After a while they will die inside from hunger.
Smoke bombs. Smoking is an excellent and quick way to get rid of hornets. To do this, it is recommended to use a sulfur bomb, which must be placed in a metal container before use.
Fire. If you find a nest in a tree, pour flammable liquid over it and set it on fire. Carry out operations at a safe distance, do not use gasoline or kerosene. Grill lighter fluid is best.
Boiling water. Hornets often make their nests in the ground and old stumps. The insects' home is easily accessible, so you can simply pour a large amount of boiling water over it. If it is difficult to prepare enough boiling water, you can use the previous point!
Bait and poison. If you are faced with a situation where it is impossible to get to the hornets’ nest, then this method is for you! Train insects to feed in a certain place using bait, for example, pieces of minced meat. Then add toxic chemicals to the bait. The principle of operation of this method is simple: working individuals, bringing poisoned food into their home, will destroy not only the queen, but also the larvae. After some time, they themselves will die out, since they will also eat poisoned food. This method is also good because you will not only get rid of the current population, but also prevent the brood of a new one.

Hornets, like any insects, spend the whole day working, so all of the above options should be applied at night or in the evening. So, there will be more individuals in the nest and they will be less active, which will become additional protection from attack. Hornets react negatively to sudden changes in lighting, so do not use a flashlight or a very bright light source.

Whenever trying to get rid of a hornet nest, use personal protective equipment - a wide suit and a hat with a mesh covering over the face.

Ensuring security measures

When determining a method of dealing with a hornet's nest, you first need to take care of your own protection from pests. The most suitable option in this case is a beekeeper’s mask, closed clothing, and gloves made of thick fabric.

If the wasp family's refuge has a complex configuration, rapid processing is not possible. If you see an insect, then immediately leave the place, but do not make sudden movements.

Use of chemicals

Dichlorvos is one of the most popular drugs used to kill insects. Its principle of operation is simple: the components of the drug, sprayed into the air, immediately enter the respiratory tract of individuals. Once inside an insect, the aerosol leads to paralysis and suffocation within a few seconds. But it is possible to achieve high effectiveness of this product only if the drug gets on insects. Carefully monitor all hornets leaving the nest and try to spray each one.
The sulfur bomb shows high efficiency. The smoke from smoking the product quickly spreads over the area, which leads to suffocation of insects. If individual individuals manage to fly away, they will definitely not return to their cocoon. Moreover, you will already have time to destroy their nest and queen.
Means for combating the Colorado potato beetle. Treat watermelon rinds with a remedy for the Colorado potato beetle and leave them in a place accessible to insects. The workers will carry the poisoned bait back to the nest and, over time, the entire population will die.
Ammonia. If you find a nest that is just beginning to develop, you are in luck. It houses a queen and several worker hornets. Dampen a rag with alcohol, open the nest and place the rag inside. The queen will die and the development of the insect colony will stop.

When insects fly away from the nest

At the beginning of September, the hornet hive begins to gradually empty. Reason: young females fly away to build new homes for their offspring. By this time, the males are already dead, since their main role is fertilization. Cold weather is the time for the death of the queen and working hornets.

The young animals that have flown away choose secluded places. Be sure to be warm and dry. It is impossible to determine the place where the female has settled in the fall. Only by spring will she build the first floor for laying eggs. At the same time, they do not return to their old place.

Interesting fact! Fertilized hornets that fly away from the nest go into suspended animation during the winter. With the arrival of warmth comes an awakening. Only they have this ability. Reason: production of a special substance similar to antifreeze.

Physical methods of dealing with hornets

Homemade traps from plastic bottles. An incision in the shape of a cross is made on the lid. The cut areas are bent inwards. You need to put bait in the bottle in the form of a piece of sugar, a couple of drops of kvass or other sweets. The hornet will get inside the bottle without any problems, but will not be able to get out. Similarly, you can make a trap from a bottle like this: cut it in half, turn the half with the neck back and insert it back. Place bait inside. All.
Fire. It should only be used away from wooden buildings and if there is no risk of fire. Remember that fire in a summer cottage and in the forest spreads very quickly. To destroy a nest, just put a piece of burning paper or rag inside.
Vacuum cleaner. Surprisingly, this is also a completely working method. Simply place the end of the suction hose inside the socket. It is better to use a bag vacuum cleaner so that after catching insects, you can destroy the bag using this method. A container type vacuum cleaner is also suitable, but after the procedure you will need to wait 2-3 days for the hornets to die.

( Video : “Hornets and the giant cocoon”)

Prevention of hornets

You cannot do without preventive measures if hornets build nests on your site every season. The following work will help prevent the establishment of nests of these dangerous insects:

Remove old nests in late fall. Try to seal all the cracks and holes in the roof of the house and plumbs so that insects cannot overwinter in it. Doors and windows should also be closed as tightly as possible.
Remove nests in the spring, when first discovered . A large colony has not yet appeared in the spring, so try to find and destroy it as early as possible. Timely destruction will protect against these insects for the entire season.
If you are the owner of an apiary, then you should pay all your attention to the appearance of hornets . Having noticed sexually mature females that are beginning to sculpt the first honeycombs, it is necessary to immediately take measures to destroy them. Otherwise, the hornets are capable of destroying the bee colony.
Traps for queen hornets. Reproduction of the colony depends primarily on the queens. Therefore, if you catch them, then no reproduction of the hornets will occur. The trap recipe is to fill a bucket of water and add bait (sweet or sour, it doesn’t matter). Add soap solution or dish detergent. Having arrived at the smell of bait, the queen will want to try it, but once inside the liquid she will no longer be able to get out of it.
Traps made of plastic bottles with bait. Hang baited traps on the trees around the area; in the spring, when the queens wake up, they will definitely fall into one and the appearance of a nest will be avoided.

All the options listed above will help avoid the appearance of colonies in the spring, when the hornets begin to actively live. If during this period you manage to protect the site and house from the creation of a nest, then in the summer the probability of its appearance drops sharply, since the insects have already decided on their place of residence.

Construction process

The way the hive construction process is carried out surprises everyone - the insects put in a lot of work, discipline and self-organization. They try to make their own home as comfortable and durable as possible, capable of protecting them from hot and cold weather conditions.

The choice of material that serves as the basis of the nest is also interesting - they use wood and bark. They especially fell in love with birch, which is why their buildings have a lighter shade than those of wasps or bees. They carefully chew pieces of wood, moistening them with saliva - the resulting material allows them to sculpt honeycombs, walls, partitions and shells.

The choice of a place for construction is made by the queen, who begins the construction of the future house. Initially, she begins to sculpt the first ball of cells, where she lays eggs. After about a week, the eggs hatch into larvae, which after 14 days turn into pupae. After another two weeks, the nests are replenished with young workers, continuing the construction of housing.

The number of insects that will develop in the season also depends on the level of productivity of the new generation. After the worker hornets fly out, eggs of future females and males are laid. Since emergence begins at the sexually mature stage, swarming occurs immediately after this.