Cool find from a WV hillbilly

[ebinmaine 67,537]

Our friend Jeff has been busier n' a one armed wallpaper hanger with an itchy back. 

He asked me to post up a few pics of a yellow jacket nest he found around the ranch.  

 

5 gallon bucket for size reference...

 

 

 

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

I thought yaller jackets were ground or cavity nesters?

 

Not some sort of hornet?

 

Did he actually see the residents?

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

Wow!

[ebinmaine 67,537]

5 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

I thought yaller jackets were ground or cavity nesters?

 

 

Bunches o stinging things with yellow stripes. 

Around here we have both ground and air mounted varieties.  

Different species I'd think but can't confirm.  

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

21 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

air mounted

 

Yeah, they say 'common', but I've never seen one!  Different species than the ground dwellers, as you say.

 

LOTS of Bald Face Hornets though.

 

 

[Handy Don 12,232]

1 minute ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

Yeah, they say 'common', but I've never seen one!  Different species than the ground dwellers, as you say.

 

LOTS of Bald Face Hornets though.

Those ground dwellers are mean when challenged (had a nest at the edge of our yard last year) but those hornets go looking for someone to sting. I nearly passed out from four bites two years ago when I walked near "their" bush!

[Pullstart 62,902]

2 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

Those ground dwellers are mean when challenged (had a nest at the edge of our yard last year) but those hornets go looking for someone to sting. I nearly passed out from four bites two years ago when I walked near "their" bush!

They don’t put up much a fight after dark, with a 20 oz bottle of petro and a lighter…. But when I attacked ‘em with a shovel one tie they got awnry awful quick!

[Horse Newbie 7,070]

12 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

Those ground dwellers are mean when challenged (had a nest at the edge of our yard last year) but those hornets go looking for someone to sting. I nearly passed out from four bites two years ago when I walked near "their" bush!

Those ground dwellers are short tempered ! If you happen to see the 1 or 2 “guards” at the nest entrance you are lucky…

Was cutting my aunts grass one time and felt a needle sting me in my back calf… took off running… luckily only one sting.

The lawn mower sat there and ran out of gas.

After they settled down, a 16 oz Coke bottle full of gas turned bottom up in the nest entrance took care of them…

Edited March 23, 2022 by Horse Newbie

[JimSraj 430]

Yup, I agree, the ground nesting yellow jackets are I’ll tempered and seem to be looking for a fight!  Have had several run ins with the sobs at my WV camp. As stated, a dousing of the nest hole with gas or diesel and a match, after dark puts an end to them. 

[SPINJIM 1,981]

There is probably still a queen wasp inside that nest.  The workers die over the winter, but the queen hibernates.  Be careful.

[ebinmaine 67,537]

5 hours ago, SPINJIM said:

There is probably still a queen wasp inside that nest.  The workers die over the winter, but the queen hibernates.  Be careful.

Thanks Jim. 

I passed the message along.  

 

Anyone have info on preservation of the nest for display?

 

 

 

@Ed Kennell

[SylvanLakeWH 25,577]

 

[JoeM 7,874]

8 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

Yeah, they say 'common', but I've never seen one!

Last year was a banner year around here for those guys. The got into the wall of my daughters house and chewed a hole through the wood about the size of a baseball. Hundreds of them in and out all day. Old dad got the call and I put together a power powder injection duster / siphon attachment for the shop vac, made from plastic pipe. Only way to get rid of them without tearing the walls out. Injected the dust through the hole.

Further investigation was a Rhododendron very near the area of the nest was loaded with those guys. It had to be removed because although the main nest was gone they still tried to set up shop again. 

She had a trap on her porch and it would fill daily.

I know they we not as aggressive as the ground varieties I have ran into

 

 

[WHNJ701 4,165]

7 hours ago, SPINJIM said:

There is probably still a queen wasp inside that nest.  The workers die over the winter, but the queen hibernates.  Be careful.

Queen hornets/yellow jackets will leave the nest in the winter too.  they go hibernate underground or under tree bark etc...  They don't reuse the same nest.

[WHNJ701 4,165]

2 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Thanks Jim. 

I passed the message along.  

 

Anyone have info on preservation of the nest for display?

 

 

 

@Ed Kennell

Make a form and pour epoxy resin around it.

[Horse Newbie 7,070]

2 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Thanks Jim. 

I passed the message along.  

 

Anyone have info on preservation of the nest for display?

 

 

 

@Ed Kennell

I think you spray it with shellac or some other clear coat…

[Horse Newbie 7,070]

1 hour ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

 

Third times a charm…

[Ed Kennell 38,182]

5 minutes ago, Horse Newbie said:

I think you spray it with shellac or some other clear coat…

I have no experience in preserving these nests Eric @ebinmaine.

Horses suggestion sounds logical, but  I am not sure what affect the solvents may have on the nest material.

Maybe use a small piece as a test. 

     I believe the nests are made from a water based paste that is probably similiar to paper mache.    Some of the concerns are mold and insect.

 

[Mows4three 826]

A bit of a Barbarian, I am.  Find it, see it, kill it.  
Snakes, mean stinging insects, snakes, skunks, snakes, termites, snakes, spiders…..  

You get the point.

Dave

[ebinmaine 67,537]

2 minutes ago, Mows4three said:

A bit of a Barbarian, I am.  Find it, see it, kill it.  
Snakes, mean stinging insects, snakes, skunks, snakes, termites, snakes, spiders…..  

You get the point.

Dave

I'm sensing you don't like termites very much.....?

 

[Ed Kennell 38,182]

 

24 minutes ago, Mows4three said:

A bit of a Barbarian, I am.  Find it, see it, kill it.  
Snakes, mean stinging insects, snakes, skunks, snakes, termites, snakes, spiders…..  

You get the point.

Dave

    

Hi Dave,    Good to hear from you.     Hope you and family are well.     Soon time to head your way to Sand Patch to chase a gobbler.

 

My kill list is a little different.     In general,  I only kill (harvest) what I eat.....with a few exceptians.

spotted lantern flies

stink bugs

moles

ground hogs and raccoons that decimate the sweet corn and cabbage

house flys and centipedes in the house

mean bees  

sparrows that invade my blue bird boxes

stray felines that spray my garden

 

[Horse Newbie 7,070]

@ebinmaine… Don’t have to tell you, but there are plenty of videos on YouTube about preserving bee’s, hornets, wasps nests…🐝

[pacer 3,173]

Got em down here in the south too .... our yellow jackets are the ground dwellers and and a nest like shown would be hornets.

 

2-3 yrs ago I had a Kubota 'SCUT' with FEL and was cleaning up some debris of which one was a no longer used mulching 'box' made from old crossties. Bout the 3rd pass knocking it down I got popped on my left ear (ouch!) then on the neck, then on cheek, then ..... YEOW!! Thankfully the little Kubota was hyd drive and I stomped on the foot pedal to back out of there fast as possible ... I was some 50-60 yards away when I finally ran far enough away. Went in the house and wifey counted 13 stings - felt like 113!!! They are NOT like a common wasp that will chase you a few feet and lose interest, those little suckers - and they are small - will run you down. Luckily I had done enough damage to the old mulch box that they abandoned the nest.

[SPINJIM 1,981]

3 hours ago, jabelman said:

Queen hornets/yellow jackets will leave the nest in the winter too.  they go hibernate underground or under tree bark etc...  They don't reuse the same nest.

 

I knocked down a nest in late winter, and found the queen and some pupa in it.   I've also seen a nest on the side of a barn that was 5 feet by 5 feet large; much too large to be only one year of growth.   All that may depend on how cold the winters get, or whether the nest has southern exposure, or is in a sheltered location.

 

Edited March 23, 2022 by SPINJIM

[peter lena 8,631]

@ebinmaine  like the nests in the ground , have  a lot of experience with that ,  also seen a lot fishing , hanging just over the water ,  give them a lot of room , white faced hornets , you loose, pete