Bald-Faced Hornets

Bald-Faced hornets build grayish paper nests, that resemble large misshapen soccer balls, in shrubs, on tree branches, and attached to buildings and can become quite large by late summer. The hornets are shiny black with a white head and tail and are quite large, being over an inch in length. They, along with wasps, and yellowjackets are very beneficial because they feed on other insects, especially caterpillars which they use to feed their larvae. If disturbed, they can be very dangerous because they are extremely aggresive, attack in large numbers, and each one can sting multple times. A nest only lasts for one season. In August-September an existing nest raises new queens which mate in the nest and then leave and go dormant for the winter. A good hard freeze in late Fall-early Winter kills the existing nest and in the Spring the new queens emerge from their winter dormancy and start building new nests. If they occur in the same spot again it is only because it is a good spot for them, not because there is any connection to an old nest.