Knowledgebase
Bald faced hornet nest #881010
Asked August 11, 2024, 11:40 AM EDT
I just noticed a bald faced hornet next on the side of my house about three feet above and to the right of my porch entrance judging from the size it must have been here for some months without issue. I would like to leave it alone Any suggestions?
Hamilton County Ohio
Expert Response
Jo Ann: I'm delighted with your perspective! Here is a posting I did last season on baldfaced hornets and other wasps that describes their life cycle and a bit about their behavior:
https://bygl.osu.edu/node/2211
As you'll read in my posting, baldfaced hornets are highly beneficial insects. If we leave them alone, they leave us alone.
Also, it sounds like you have a docile colony because they have been there since the spring. If they were an aggressive colony, I believe they would have made their presence known by now.
Here's what you can do to assess the situation. As you slowly step out of your porch entrance, locate the entrance hole to their nest and watch closely to see how much they are watching you. They usually have one or two "guards" looking out from their entrance. If you start seeing more peering from their entrance hole directly at you, it means they're keeping an eye on you. However, it doesn't necessarily mean you're at risk.
Again, move slowly and just watch what they do. If you've been using the porch entrance with no problems, my guess is that they may not increase the number of guards because they've already decided you're not a threat in the past. So, things should be OK as long as you don't get too close. In fact, you may want to consider doing a little "hornet watching" just to learn more about them.
However, I also want to express a word of caution. Everything I've said above goes out the window if someone in your family is allergic to bee stings. Although I work to educate people that baldfaced hornets and other wasps are beneficial and mostly leave us alone, I think having a nest near an entrance used by someone who is highly allergic isn't worth the risk. If that's the case, you may want to consider seeking the help of a professional to have the nest removed. I would caution against doing it yourself, particularly if you are allergic! Some sprays shoot a great distance, but if their nest is under attack, they will go into a dangerous defense mode and even workers flying back to the nest can attack from behind.
