Bald-faced Hornet nest under my deck. A big one. What would you do?

[Beausoir]

I've had run-ins with these guys before and they are extremely aggressive and will chase and sting repeatedly. I have 5 young children.

I HATE to spray chemicals around and kill things...it makes me ill to do it.

What should I do?

[BooScout]

1. Stick a Republican in it and run like hell.

:evilgrin:

[Beausoir]

6. I don't know any Republicans! n/t

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. You mean, what would I do with yours, or what would I if were to have one?

As to yours, if it were me, I'd poke the hell out of it and get 'em real angry then run out of the room and listen to you scream!

If the hornet nest were under my desk, I'd hire someone to get rid of it.

[Beausoir]

7. Oh....semantics!!! You ARE a Bald-Faced Hornet!

And...is your desk outside on a redwood deck?

[supernova]

3. Yes, hire a professional

Hornets are nastily aggressive creatures. And yes, they will use chemicals, but if I were you, I would schedule an exterminator and the make plans to be away for the day.

[mwdem]

4. I've dealt with those suckers before,

and I had to hire a professional. They're way too aggressive, esp. with small kids around.

[femmocrat]

5. Buy one of those spray cans of insecticide that can shoot a good distance.

Wait until it is almost dark out, or go out in the wee hours of the morning. Wear a hat, long sleeves and long pants. Shoot the suckers and soak the nest. Run like hell. Wait several hours before going out to check. If it's hot out, the kids won't be out there anyhow. Once the nest is all quiet (no hornets buzzing around), knock it down and dispose of it.

[Beausoir]

8. I'm skeerd. Really skeerd of these things. They are vengeful. n/t

[evlbstrd]

9. Soak it with gasoline and light it.

Then build a new deck.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

10. I have no advice except to say...I read it as saying "desk" and I was like

"HOLY FUCK! HORNETS UNDER THE DESK! RUN YOU FUCKING IDIOT! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT US TO DO ABOUT IT?"

[Stardust]

12. Ha! I thought it said "desk," too! Yeow!

[MsKandice01]

22. Me too!!

And I was thinking, "How is everyone giving all these calm reasonable answers? There are fucking HORNETS UNDER HIS DESK!!!"

Whew, what a relief.

[nuxvomica]

11. I get nests on my porch and mailbox every summer

I buy the concentrated orange oil cleaner at the health food store (the brand name stuff doesn't have enough orange oil), mix with a little detergent and water, and spray the nests with it at dusk, using a supersoaker watergun. I use the supersoaker because I can get back 10 feet.

[CanuckAmok]

13. Have you tried poking it with a stick? How about yelling at it?

Beyond that, I have no advice.

[BrotherBuzz]

14. Get one of those aerosol cans that cans shoots twenty feet....

so you can shoot and run. This is war and you are defending your turf because they are the aggressors; the world community will support your actions.

It's easier to ask forgiveness then permission;)

[Nickster]

18. Yup, I stock up on those cans every summer. I sit out on the deck and have

a can or two always at the ready. I will stand for no aggression on my turf, see what I mean, heh heh, is that it's hard work protecting my deck. My job as the deck decider, heh heh, is to remind people how awful stings can be, you see I think some people like to forget about that, but I don't. Every day I think about bee stings. Heh heh.

[BrotherBuzz]

21. LOL, and don't forget Poland

:thumbsup:

[doc03]

15. Go out after dark, they will not leave their nest then, place a

plastic bag around the nest and then take the bag with contents to the nearest Republican's house and place it at their door, hopefully in the morning they will be curious what it contains and will open it "surprise".

[graywarrior]

16. Move.

[Beausoir]

19. Well..that just about sums it up.

The PERFECT DU Lounge reply.

[Redstone]

17. Poison the motherfuckers. It's them or your kids.

Redstone

[Throd]

20. Zap 'em with 3M Super 77 Spray Glue

Wait until the coldest part of the day. Poison doesn't kill 'em fast enough. I used this approach on wasps when I lived in SoCal. The glue doesn't kill them, it just makes them unable to fly. Then you can squash them.

[MrScorpio]

23. Buy a protective suit with a mask and a tennis racquet

And wack away!

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

24. I'm with you on the not wanting to kill them. A smoke bomb perhaps?

Throw it in there and run like hell?

[Flaxbee]

25. See if you can make a few calls and find professional

removers -- you hear about people coming in to remove 1000s of bees inside a house wall, etc... these might be the same kind of people who know how to remove hornets in a non-toxic, non-aggressive way. I'd try the local veterinarian first, see if he/she can recommend animal control/beekeepers, anyone who might help you out.

I also first thought you had hornets under your DESK and wondered why in the hell you were at the computer!