Empty Nest

Daily Photo

The Bald Faced Hornet is really a large yellow jacket. The insects abandon their nests every winter.  Most of the creatures die with only the Queens overwintering.  The next year, each Queen usually starts a new home by chewing plant material to form a paperlike substance.  There thee lay their eggs.  After about a month, the first workers are born and they take over everything but the egg production.  The nests can get quite large. This one, however is a little smaller than my head.

Do not disturb if you observe insects around the nest.  These creatures are highly protective of their homes and often attack if you come within 3 feet of their nest.  The Hornets chase intruders sometimes for quite a distance and they can sting more than once unlike honey bees. Also the venom is different and can cause more severe reactions.

Abandoned nests covered can be preserved.  I have seen a beautiful one cut from a tree with Autumn leaves still attached.  The whole thing was sprayed with a shellac like substance and was several years old the last time I saw it.  There are rumors of the preserved nests being valued for hundreds of dollars but I couldn’t find any listed on the web.

When uninhabited, I find them quite beautiful.