Hornets Nest

[Daffy D]

A hornet has built a beautiful nest near our back door. We have been watching the mommy painstakingly build this over a period of some weeks.

She never bothered us and we left her alone. The only time she appeared threatening was if we got closer than about 3ft then she would come and buzz in our face but backed off as soon as we retreated out of “her space”

One morning we noticed the nest was broken (wind damage I guess) and she along with some friends, or her kids, were rebuilding it.

So far so good but now there seem to be at least 5 if not more of her friends repairing the nest AND building extensions.

How big is this nest likely to get? At the moment it is about the size of a tennis ball but I have visions of it growing to football size.

I have no wish to harm such a hard working hornet family but the nest is right near the kids swing so there could be potential problems if it got too big with hundreds of occupants.

If it is a potential danger and gets too big it could be a real problem to remove. Should I get rid of it now while it is still manageable?

Thanks

D.D.

[Choscura]

the easy thing to do would be to 'smoke' it out. get a pack of cigarettes, light them all, and put them in an ash tray as close to under the nest as possible. hornets and kids don't mix.

[canuckamuck]

I am no expert, but I know that kind a wasp/hornet/bee, is known to have a very painful sting. My friend calls it pung yai which likely means any big bee, but he made an extra effort to warn me about that one when he saw it near me.

One way to gid rid of wasps is to hang a paper bag from the ceiling so it looks a bit like a wasp nest. Wasps are territorial but not bright, and they won't build near an existing one. Problem is you alreadey have a nest, so I don't know how that will work out. You can take it down with a tennis racket and then run for the hills. But I think you would have done that already if you were partial to that plan.

[ozzydom]

A loosely rolled up sheet of newspaper ,light it up and cook them ,just after dark, not worth taking a risk with kids ,if one gets bit and has a bad reaction it can constrict the throat and choke a person. Things that bite have a place in the world but not on your house or near kids.

[Khonwan]

It is indeed a hornets nest (hornet = ฅ่อ = "taw"). Hornet stings are VERY painful and cause great swelling; can easily be fatal if, for example, stung on the throat/neck. I've removed a nest at night before by enclosing it in a plastic bag and pulling it off (they are at rest in the darkness). I've also crouched on the ground (very still) whilst holding a flaming rag-covered stick under it. Any remaining hornets are unlikely to harm you since they will no longer have a nest to defend. Get rid of them now before the nest is fully completed and populated - they most certainly will then become aggressive if you wait.

Rgds

Khonwan

[sceadugenga]

You're not wrong about them stinging, I swatted one in the house last year then, thinking it was dead, folded a tissue several times and picked it up. I stung me through 8...? layers of tissue, soaking the paper in venom and I still had a sore thumb for a couple of days.

The dog, an enthusiastic hunter of harmless flies in the window, gives them, and anything else that stings, a wide berth.

[soundman]

I have been told that those particaular wasps (hornet??) you have photoed are paticullarly dangerous, however, not overly aggressive unless disturbed.

A sting from one of those will hurt for a week, & probably add many grey hairs to ones head. A child would be more than likely hospitalised, any one with an allergy could easily die.

I killed a full nest of them using two four metre sections of PVC pipe & a can of shellox ant killer. When I sprayed the nest about 30 came flying out, I ran for the hills, but the wasps all lost co-ordination very quickly & were dead within minutes.

Be careful, when agitated, they can fly as fast as you can run....

Soundman.

[AmeriThai]

The wasp appears to be Vespa tropica. They can be very nasty in tropical areas. I'd suggest getting rid of it before the nest gets any larger.

Vespa tropica does not seem to be a defensive species. A long time ago, when I was around 10, I found a hole in the ground, in which these wasps were emerging and flying away, while others returned. I was extremely curious and mischievous as a child, and despite my parents' stern warnings, I placed a plastic bag over the nest, hoping they would fly out and be trapped. To this day, I thank God that my life was so preserved! They could have killed me, but yet, all that happened was that activity at the nest halted. When I eventually moved off, the hornets started to emerge again. It is strange how reluctant these insects were to attack. Still, many years later, I was attacked when I accidentally kicked a log concealing a nest. And it must be noted that this species has been responsible for many fatal attacks, due to the location of its nests and its wide distribution.

http://www.vespa-bicolor.net/main/vespid/vespa-tropica.htm

[bicolor]

Hello,

I am the author of the site quoted above, and I'm located in Hong Kong, not in Thailand, I found this quite by accident while searching for hornets on Google as I often do.

That's not Vespa tropica, but Vespa affinis, a smaller but similar looking species (see link at bottom). It is different in biology as it nests above ground. The tube at the bottom is thought to be a mechanism to defend against ants invading the nest. I believe the reason it was removed was not wind, but the fact that the workers which emerge get rid of it as it is no longer needed, they're there to defend the nest. In the third photo, you can clearly see the queen inside the nest and that the others, the workers, are smaller.

That nest can reach at least the size of a basketball, and probably much bigger. It may be home to 10000 or more hornets at its peak. Vespa affinis is moderate in terms of aggression, not the most aggressive, but not the most gentle either (although its sting is far less painful than Vespa tropica; I have been stung by both!). Much as I love these creatures, I have to admit that they can pose a danger.

1: Do you or anyone else frequently walk, pass by or work within 10 feet of the nest?

2: Will there be vibrations to the area surrounding the nest?

3: Is anyone in the house possibly allergic to stings?

4: Will the daily activities of you and your family place you in the flight path of the workers? (Observe them to see their flight path)

5: Are there children or pets in the house?

6: Do the hornets sometimes fly into the house?

If you answered "yes" to two or more, I would suggest you get the nest destroyed. You can easily handle it at this moment, with a normal household insecticide. Spray the nest thoroughly at night, standing clear of the nest and directing the stream at the nest entrance. If it gets any bigger it will be hard to destroy without professional knowledge, so if you wait too long you may have to end up calling a pest control company.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

John

http://www.vespa-bicolor.net/main/vespid/vespa-affinis.htm

[Daffy D]

Hi John

Thanks for your interesting and very informative post.

In answer to your questions I would say yes to most.

I had the feeling that the nest would get bigger so one night I knocked the whole nest off into a bucket then quickly threw it (the nest not the bucket) into a field at the back of our house.

I hope this method of disposal will give the little critters a chance to start again at a new location out of harms way.

D.D.

[chevykanteve]

We have this type of hornet here in Roi-et Province. It is locally known as taw or dhaw. I'm not entirely sure of the correct transliteration. This insect, when mature, has a thick body and extends to about two inches in length. I've never been bitten by one, but people I know who have been bitten tell me that the pain is intense.

A nurse I know (a former student of mine who works at a large hospital here) once told me that the sting of this hornet can kill a young child. I remember she said that between the scorpion, giant Asian centipede and hornet, the latter-most (=hornet) is potentially the most dangerous, especially for children.

Avoid them.

[AmeriThai]

I am the author of the site quoted above, and I'm located in Hong Kong, not in Thailand, I found this quite by accident while searching for hornets on Google as I often do.

That's not Vespa tropica, but Vespa affinis, a smaller but similar looking species (see link at bottom). It is different in biology as it nests above ground. The tube at the bottom is thought to be a mechanism to defend against ants invading the nest. I believe the reason it was removed was not wind, but the fact that the workers which emerge get rid of it as it is no longer needed, they're there to defend the nest. In the third photo, you can clearly see the queen inside the nest and that the others, the workers, are smaller.

That nest can reach at least the size of a basketball, and probably much bigger. It may be home to 10000 or more hornets at its peak. Vespa affinis is moderate in terms of aggression, not the most aggressive, but not the most gentle either (although its sting is far less painful than Vespa tropica; I have been stung by both!). Much as I love these creatures, I have to admit that they can pose a danger.

Welcome to Thaivisa John. Thanks for the correction. The link to Vespa tropica was the only one I could find that resembled the one shown in the OP's photos. It's remarkable how similar in coloration Vespa affinis and Vespa tropica are. The coloration of one you identified as being from Singapore looks quite different from the ones you show from Taiwan. Though maybe not as defensive as Vespa tropica, it's good you noted that they can indeed pose a danger.

I hope you'll pop in here once in a while. There have been other members from time to time trying to identify various kinds of insects that may pose potential harm. Getting a good positive ID would be greatly helpful and beneficial to all the members.

Best wishes,

- AmeriThai

[esprit]

Hello,

I am the author of the site quoted above, and I'm located in Hong Kong, not in Thailand, I found this quite by accident while searching for hornets on Google as I often do.

That's not Vespa tropica, but Vespa affinis, a smaller but similar looking species (see link at bottom). It is different in biology as it nests above ground. The tube at the bottom is thought to be a mechanism to defend against ants invading the nest. I believe the reason it was removed was not wind, but the fact that the workers which emerge get rid of it as it is no longer needed, they're there to defend the nest. In the third photo, you can clearly see the queen inside the nest and that the others, the workers, are smaller.

That nest can reach at least the size of a basketball, and probably much bigger. It may be home to 10000 or more hornets at its peak. Vespa affinis is moderate in terms of aggression, not the most aggressive, but not the most gentle either (although its sting is far less painful than Vespa tropica; I have been stung by both!). Much as I love these creatures, I have to admit that they can pose a danger.

1: Do you or anyone else frequently walk, pass by or work within 10 feet of the nest?

2: Will there be vibrations to the area surrounding the nest?

3: Is anyone in the house possibly allergic to stings?

4: Will the daily activities of you and your family place you in the flight path of the workers? (Observe them to see their flight path)

5: Are there children or pets in the house?

6: Do the hornets sometimes fly into the house?

If you answered "yes" to two or more, I would suggest you get the nest destroyed. You can easily handle it at this moment, with a normal household insecticide. Spray the nest thoroughly at night, standing clear of the nest and directing the stream at the nest entrance. If it gets any bigger it will be hard to destroy without professional knowledge, so if you wait too long you may have to end up calling a pest control company.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

John

http://www.vespa-bicolor.net/main/vespid/vespa-affinis.htm

Bicolor,

Not my field of interest but I found your explaination very educating thank you. The only variety of hornets I was ever aware of were those in the UK which nested on or near to the ground.

[bicolor]

Hi John

Thanks for your interesting and very informative post.

In answer to your questions I would say yes to most.

I had the feeling that the nest would get bigger so one night I knocked the whole nest off into a bucket then quickly threw it (the nest not the bucket) into a field at the back of our house.

I hope this method of disposal will give the little critters a chance to start again at a new location out of harms way.

D.D.

Glad to hear that, you certainly did well to get rid of them then. And they will have a chance of survival as well due to your well-thought method!

Bicolor,

Not my field of interest but I found your explaination very educating thank you. The only variety of hornets I was ever aware of were those in the UK which nested on or near to the ground.

Those in the UK are probably either common wasps/yellowjackets (Vespula species) or the European hornet (Vespa crabro), both of which are far more aggressive than most Asian species!

A nurse I know (a former student of mine who works at a large hospital here) once told me that the sting of this hornet can kill a young child. I remember she said that between the scorpion, giant Asian centipede and hornet, the latter-most (=hornet) is potentially the most dangerous, especially for children.

Avoid them.

The hornets are dangerous mainly because of the possibility of allergic reactions, and the fact that they attack in groups and sting many times. Multiple stings can be dangerous especially for very young or very old persons. Not sure about what scorpions are common in Thailand, but I believe most aren't the really dangerous sort. But the bite of the centipede is probably far worse. My girlfriend, while in Taiwan, had been bitten by the centipede and stung by the giant hornet Vespa mandarinia, which is one of the most dangerous/painful species, and she felt the centipede bite was far worse, easily as bad as 5 stings from the hornet!

Single stings will not kill or cause serious problems in most healthy adults. But remember, if any symptoms other than local pain, swelling, stiffness and itching develop, seek medical attention!

Welcome to Thaivisa John. Thanks for the correction. The link to Vespa tropica was the only one I could find that resembled the one shown in the OP's photos. It's remarkable how similar in coloration Vespa affinis and Vespa tropica are. The coloration of one you identified as being from Singapore looks quite different from the ones you show from Taiwan. Though maybe not as defensive as Vespa tropica, it's good you noted that they can indeed pose a danger.

I hope you'll pop in here once in a while. There have been other members from time to time trying to identify various kinds of insects that may pose potential harm. Getting a good positive ID would be greatly helpful and beneficial to all the members.

Best wishes,

- AmeriThai

A certain species often looks different from its counterparts in different regions. The one in the photos posted by D.d appear to resemble the Southeast Asian form I've seen in Singapore. In fact, Vespa affinis is more aggressive than Vespa tropica! However, the latter is more dangerous due to the fact that it often nests where it can easily be disturbed.

Thanks. I will certainly drop by every now and then. I did visit Thailand quite often in younger days, but only stayed around Bangkok, and I guess I can find lots of useful info here if I have a chance to go again in future and would like to explore more.

Cheers,

John