Bald-Faced Hornet Nest Removal Nassau County, New York
Bald-faced hornets are not a true hornet, but rather a species of yellowjacket wasp. The bald-faced hornet is named for the characteristic white markings on its face. Bald-faced hornets are differentiated from other yellow jacket wasps by their white and black markings and notably larger size. These hornets have three white stripes at the end of their bodies. Worker females are covered with small hairs while the queens remain hairless. Queen bald-faced hornets are always larger than workers in their colony. Males of this species develop from haploid, unfertilized eggs and females from diploid, fertilized eggs. Worker female hornets can, therefore, lay eggs that develop into males. The queen may be killed after sufficient workers have been reared and queen-destined eggs have been laid, to give workers a reproductive advantage.
Bald-Faced Hornet Distribution & Behavior
The bald-faced hornet is found in North America, including Canada, the Rocky Mountains, the western coast of the United States, and the majority of the eastern United States. Bald-faced hornets will build a sizeable gray, papery nest, sometimes reaching three feet in length on a tree branch or the soffit of a Nassau County, Long Island home. The bald-faced hornet nest is constructed of multiple layers of hexagonal combs encased in approximately two inches of protective paper. The nest is built with air vents in the upper portion of the nest, allowing excess heat to escape. These social wasps are omnivorous and are regarded as beneficial insects due to their predation of spiders, caterpillars, and flies. However, their aggressively defensive demeanor makes them a serious threat to people who come too close to their nest. Bald-faced hornets fiercely defend their nest by repeatedly stinging and spraying venom into the intruder's eyes, resulting in temporary blindness. The pest control experts at Nassau County bee removal have many years of experience with Long Island bald-faced hornet nest removal.
Bald-Faced Hornet Life Cycle
During the spring, queen hornets that were reared and fertilized at the end of the previous year begin new colonies. A queen hornet that has emerged from hibernation will select a location to build its nest, lay eggs and raise the first batch of hatchlings. The hatchlings will develop into workers and assume the chore of expanding the wasp nest. The worker wasps chew up wood, which mixes with a starch in their saliva. The worker hornets then spread the chewed up wood around using their jaws and legs, and it dries into a papery structure. Worker bald-faced hornets guard the nest and feed on tree sap, fruit pulp, and nectar. Worker hornets prey on insects and other arthropods, chewing them up and feeding them to the developing larvae. In the later part of the summer and early fall, the bald-faced hornet queen starts to lay eggs which will develop into drones and new queens. Following pupation, these fertile male and female hornets will fly off to mate. Fertilized queen bald-faced hornets then hibernate and start new colonies the following year. Drones and workers die at the end of the cycle. The old bald-faced hornet queen, if not killed by workers, dies with them in the fall. Predators of bald-faced hornets include raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bears. These mammals tear open bald-faced hornet nests to consume the hornet larvae and pupae.
