Hornet's nest help

 Help! I have what looks like a hornet's nest in my living room up in the
window frame. I saw some wasp looking things making something like this
once, which is why I think it is a hornet's nest.. It is a mud daubbed thing
stuck up inside the window frame. I am in Los Angeles. Now what? Do I spray
it with Raid and knock it down?

Hilda

 

First, be careful.. I have heard that hornets will attack whatever threatens
them. You should call an exterminator ASAP. In the yellow pages, you'll find
one that will do a "free initial home inspection" and they will at least
tell you what kind of bees they are. Then, whether you decide to go with the
exterminator or not, you'll at least have this info for free.
Also.. and I am not recommending you do anything at this point, but I wanted
to let you know they are least active at night, and if you did do anything,
that would be a good time to do it.
Good luck and keep us posted,
lucy

 On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 00:14:46 GMT, Hilda@despammed.com wrote:


Mud daubers. They are harmless, beneficial insects, but they may
choose inconvenient places to nest. They prey on other insects and are
diligent scavengers. See the Ag Extension at UC Davis,
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7450.html  for authoritative
advice.

If you must be rid of wasps, because they are yellowjackets, or have
chosen their nest site badly, or you have a family member with sting
allergy, or there are simply too many of them, specially-packaged
"wasp spray" insecticides that can throw a stream 20-30 feet or so are
effective against them. Just knocking down their nests may not be
enough; if they like the site, they will rebuild.

There are three groups of social wasp species common in California:
paper wasps, yellowjackets, and mud daubers.

Paper wasps (Polistes) are large, fierce-looking wasps that are
actually placid unless you are within a foot or so of their nest. They
build small paper nests that look sort of like an inverted mushroom.

Yellowjackets (Vespula) are smaller and either colonize existing holes
or build large paper nests that have a single exit, in the well-known
"hornet's nest" shape. They are aggressive when foraging or defending
their nest; these are the wasps you are least likely to have "live and
let live" feelings for.

Mud daubers (family Sphecidae) are less social and build mud nests.
They are not aggressive.

--
Chris Green

 Thanks, I did go on the net and found the UC Davis site. These are
mud duabers. I saw one building a nest outside in Spring and they are
distinctive looking.

So being that they are beneficial, I am resigned to having a wasp's nest in
my living room. If it hatches, it can eat the spiders :)

Hilda

 
  "Beneficial" does not necessarily apply to indoors, where there is no
ecosystem for them to be beneficial for; the lack of natural food will probably
cause problems in the long run.  

  I'm sure the usual outdoor approach of wasp spray and a broomstick to break
up and knock down the nest would work, but I don't know if I'd want to spray
that stuff in the living room, either.  Perhaps someone with extermination
experience can comment.

JGM