back to directory!
 

I want it in German - in Deutsch! En francais Svenska Не бойтесь шешершней! Espanol Calabroni – giganti buoni! Italiano.

© 1998-2023
www.hornissenschutz.de
www.vespa-crabro.de
- updated 2023-02-24 -

Preserving and Displaying a beautiful Hornet Nest
and
h
ow to relocate Hornet- and Wasp nests


Nest
click on thumbnail to enlarge the image

The paper-like nests of Hornets are made of chewed wood fiber mixed with saliva. Hornet nests are frequently displayed in nature centers, schools, and natural history museums. They can also be displayed in the home as a conversation piece! Below are answers to the most common questions about displaying a hornet's nest.

How is the nest collected?

The easiest method of collecting a nest is to wait until after the hornets have abandoned the nest in the fall (after the first hard freeze or by beginning November). Hornet nests are annual; they last one summer and all occupants freeze or die of old age in the fall. Collect the nest as soon as possible because exposed, unprotected nests are subject to destruction by wildlife and weather.

Will I get stung from hornets that emerge from a collected nest?

There will be few, if any hornets in a nest collected in late fall. If you feel the need to be extra-cautious, leave the nest in a garage or porch where it will be protected from the weather until mid-winter. Then bring the nest indoors.

Photo: Dr. Elmar Billig

Will the nest smell bad?

The carcasses of hornets and larvae that remain in a collected nest may produce a mild odor before they completely dry up. If this is unacceptable, leave the nest in a protected outdoor location as mentioned above.

Does the nest need to be treated with varnish to preserve it?

No. It is not really necessary to treat the collected nest in any way. The nest will last almost indefinitely if it is suspended in a dry location where it will not be damaged by handling or vibration. But a good idea is any way to spray the nest with a clear polyurethane seal.

Will new hornets emerge from eggs that hatch after the nest is hung indoors?

No. Hornet eggs laid inside the nest by the queen hatch into grublike larvae that must be fed and cared for by the workers. If any eggs hatched indoors the tiny larvae would perish.

Source:

Department of Entomology, Iowa State University of Science and Technology
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/


How to relocate Hornet- and Wasp nests - experience of Mr. Kevin Foster

Hornet nests can be relocated but it is quite tricky. The way I do it is to collect all the workers from the nest first with a net and transfer these to a jar made with a 'lobster pot' one way top. For hornets and Dolichovespula wasps I use a net as there are up to about 300 individuals in a nest which is ok. You can net up to about 50 at a time and feed these into a pot. Normally though there are much fewer workers as nests are best relocated early in the season with only a few workers present. For Vespula nests a modified 12V vacuum cleaner can be used which has a pot before the fan, like a pooter.

Then one can move the nest itself with the queen inside by carefully cutting its attachments and placing it in a box. I then put both the workers and the nest on ice for the journey. This stops the workers from flying around in the pots which usually kills them. At the new site the nest is suspeded on several length of flexible metal wire (they cannot chew through this) in a large bird box. The chilled workers are then readded with some honey to aid recovery and the nest box closed. As they come around they feed of the honey and will reorientate to their new site. If you do not chill them they often just fly straight out of the box and will never be seen again! One point of caution is not to chill the hornets too much as this will also kill them. Takes a little practice unfortunately!

This technique I have also applied for Vespula and Dolichovespula nests. Dolichovespula are by far the easiest being small and made of the most strong paper.

Best wishes
Kevin


next Page: The stinger


 

Directory!

 

Hymenoptera>Vespoidea>Vespidae>Vespa crabro>Hornisse>Hornet>Frelon>Hoornaar>Vespa grande>Abejorro>Calabrone
Hymenoptera>Vespoidea>Vespidae>Vespa crabro>Hornisse>Hornet>Frelon>Hoornaar>Vespa grande>Abejorro>Calabrone

Webmaster:
Dieter Kosmeier

Hymenoptera>Vespoidea>Vespidae>Vespa crabro>Hornisse>Hornet>Frelon>Hoornaar>Vespa grande>Abejorro>Calabrone
Hymenoptera>Vespoidea>Vespidae>Vespa crabro>Hornisse>Hornet>Frelon>Hoornaar>Vespa grande>Abejorro>Calabrone

NACH OBEN!

www.vespa-crabro.de