Whats that buzzing sound?
 

Watch your heads out there. Almost literally walked into several of these this weekend. Hornets love water and often make nests in trees over it. Most are high and out of the way but a few are right at head level. They also seem to prefer maple trees. One tree had two of them.

Re: Whats that buzzing sound?
 

You need a sling shot and a couple of pebbles.... then things get real interesting !! :eek::eek::eek:

Re: Whats that buzzing sound?
 

Last Friday, yellow jackets got a couple of us as we were measuring out a Morris Co. wild trout stream to electrofish.

Re: Whats that buzzing sound?
 

They are worst since most nests are underground. I swear there is one nest every 50 feet along the Passaic. You learn to watch your step.

Re: Whats that buzzing sound?
 

Great pics...close, but not too close:eek:

Yeah them yellow jackets got me last week. Dropped my clippers in my compost pile and then was swarmed trying to get them out. Was stung at least 12 times on the legs, arms, torso, and head...ouch.

Re: Whats that buzzing sound?
 

If you can find the hole to their underground nest, the below, works great!

Drop the hose of a shop vac or an old canister-type vacuum cleaner next to the hole in the middle of the night when the guards will either be deep inside or slow to react. (The cooler the air temperature, the more wiggle room you’ll have.) Then turn the machine on the next morning; these aggressive wasps will attack the hose and get sucked inside. Let the machine run all day—remember, you might need to suck up thousands of them before you empty out the nest. Then plug the vacuum hose with duct tape BEFORE you turn the machine off. Then let the machine sit in the sun for a few days before you open it to dispose of the used-to-be-wasps.

Re: Whats that buzzing sound?
 

My dad had a similar response years ago. He got stung 8 times and was pissed. He dressed up in his thickest winter coveralls, winter gloves, ear muffs, multiple wool hats, safety glasses and a face mask and went after them. He stood by the hole for nearly TWO hours sucking them up in his shop vac. Don't mess with dad!