Baldfaced Hornet

Dolichovespula maculata

Baldfaced hornet

Baldfaced hornet (Piccolo Namek, Wikimedia Commons)

Baldfaced hornet

Baldfaced hornet (Johnny N. Dell, Bugwood.org)

Baldfaced hornet

Baldfaced hornet nest (The High Fin Sperm Whale, Wikimedia Commons)

Identification

  • 5/8 - 3/4+ inch long
  • black with yellowish-white face; no hairs

Nesting Habits

  • social
  • colony dies off every fall; fertilized queens overwinter
  • nest on building eaves, etc., or in plants/trees: aerial
  • queens start new every spring; colonies grow throughout the summer months

Diet

  • insects
  • nectar

Significance

  • nests pose a serious health risk to humans

IPM Recommendations

  • Monitor for nests from early summer - fall.
  • Purchase and use a bee veil, suit and gloves.
  • Minimize nesting habitat around property.
  • Install tight-fitting screens in windows.
  • Nest removal: wear protective bee veil, suit and gloves; at night using a ladder or bee pole, apply an aerosol wasp insecticide into the nest entrance hole, bag and remove the nest and place the bagged nest in a dumpster away from children and people.

Additional Resources

IPM for Stinging Bees and Wasps: Integrated Pest Management in Sensitive Environments (University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension)