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Hornets

Hornet nests in trees, lawns, or buildings away from the normal activity of people should not be considered dangerous-and should not be removed. Removing a nest is not easy and is always dangerous. Here are some suggestions: locate nest entrance during the day; work at night (when the temperature is low and it is fully dark and most wasps are inside); use a red light to see (hornets cannot see red light very well); wear protective clothing; use material known as (or similar to) "wasp freeze" or wasp and hornet aerosol; and, do not use gasoline. Remove nest when no activity is observed. Due to their stinging nature, the physical removal of bees and wasps is difficult. Yet, if you take careful action, physical removal is possible. It is advisable to wear protective clothing or to simply ask a professional pest control operator to physically remove the pests. Below are several effective recommendations for removing bees and wasps:

Trapping for wasps (particularly yellow jackets) can be an effective tool for reducing foraging wasps in an area. Several traps on the market utilize bait to attract wasps. Other traps, such as sticky traps, use colors (especially yellow) to attract the wasps. Trapped wasps die when placed in a freezer for a few hours.

Nest removal is also possible if you take the proper precautions. If the nest is in an accessible area (like hanging from a tree branch), you can use a strong plastic bag to enclose the nest. You can then sever the base of the nest or branch and remove the nest.

Vacuuming out entire nests is another option. We recommend that only a professional do this since special equipment is needed. Vacuuming can be particularly useful when bees or wasps are found within a wall void or in an environmentally sensitive area where pesticides cannot be used. If you use a vacuum, remember that once the vacuum is turned off, the wasps will be able to find their way out of the vacuum. Therefore, it is important to quickly seal the vacuum bag and remove it from the vacuum cleaner. Placing the bag into a freezer for a few hours will kill the wasps.

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