Most people don’t even know they are there until the leaves drop in the fall. When built into trees, these structures can be as high as 60 feet above the ground and become almost invisible. Usually situated three or more feet off of the ground in order to prevent attacks from predators like raccoons, these aerial nests are sometimes found in dense branches high in the canopy of a tree. It begins as a very small structure that grows throughout the summer as the colony gets larger and larger. The nest of a bald-faced hornet is an engineering masterpiece. The presence of bald-faced hornets on any Pittsburgh residential property should initiate an immediate call to our pest control and pest-management specialists! 1) Bald-Faced Hornet’s Nests Are Fearsome Nine Reasons To Fear The Bald-Faced HornetĮach of the following facts individually is disconcerting to say the very least. However, their smooth bodies prevent the adhesion of pollen, rendering them much less effective pollinators than bees. They feed on other insects and in the process of ingesting nectar from flowers may contribute to the pollination of many plants. Environmental Implications of the Bald-Faced Hornetīald-faced hornets are integral to the balance of nature in their own particular terrifying way. They in turn often fall prey to many bird species, frogs and praying mantises. The impact of bald-faced hornets on other insect populations may have great ecological and even human significance. Their diet also includes fruits, meats, tree sap and nectar from flowers.Īlthough they eat many other insects, their favorite snacks are deer flies and horse flies. They are carnivorous critters that prey upon other insects, such as spiders and arthropods. Like most stinging insects, they build nests, but they do not reuse them, which is a rather unusual trait among social wasp species. Our pest control expert technicians have often found bald-faced hornet nests along forest edges, in meadows and even in public parks during the full bloom of summer. Habitat And Diet Of The Bald-Faced Hornet This large, black-and-white-colored social wasp is found in Southern Canada and throughout North America.Īlthough considered a hornet because of its large size and aerial nest, this insect is more closely related to the yellow jacket group. What Is The Bald-Faced Hornet?Īlso known as the white-faced hornet, white-tailed hornet, bald-faced yellow jacket, black jacket, and bull wasp, by any name this insect is one that should be avoided at all costs. Humans who accidentally venture too close to a hornet’s nest are at the same risk of severe allergic reactions and they can develop Entomophobia, a condition characterized by an obsessive fear of one or more classes of insects, which in the case of the bald-faced hornet, is difficult to eradicate because it is completely justified. These animals rip open their nests to feast upon the larvae and pupae and end up with stings that are unrelentingly painful and itchy and remain so for about 24 hours. They can inject a large amount of venom into any predator that invades their nest, and this toxic material is often sprayed into the faces, especially the eyes, of any intruder.įeel pity for the invaders to one of their enormous colonies, some of which include: skunks, raccoons, and foxes. The smooth stingers on the bald-faced hornet have the capacity to sting repeatedly with no damage to the insect and much pain to the target (stingee?). These insects do have their place within the natural order and balance of things, but perhaps Her vision went a bit too far. Mother Nature must have had her reasons for creating these fearful insects even though pest control and pest management specialists might secretly question Her motives. Some insects, like the bald-faced hornet are nasty critters that belong in our most lurid nightmares, but always seem to make an appearance in the cold light of day. These anomalies deliver an intense burst of fear and take us down a grotesque labyrinth of primeval thoughts and emotions. The penned thoughts of the most imaginative writer of scary stories may effectively delve into the darker realms of the netherworld, but there are some horrors in the natural cosmos that are even more terrifying, and they are often overlooked as subjects in tales that chill and thrill.
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