What to Do If You See a Bald-Faced Hornet Nest

What Does a Bald-Faced Hornet Nest Look Like?

“What kind of hive is in my tree?” asks Birds & Blooms reader Caren Holderman of Kankakee, Illinois.

Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman say, Several kinds of wasps and hornets build nests of paper, creating the paper by chewing up wood, mixing it with their saliva, then forming it into the structure of the nest. In your area, one with this shape was probably built by bald-faced hornets (Dolichovespula maculata).

Bald-faced hornet nests are only used for one season. This is an older one that’s starting to fall apart, revealing the numerous cells in which the hornets raised their larvae. If you find an active nest, it’s best to stay away from it. Seek professional assistance if it’s in an area with a lot of foot traffic. These busy insects can be aggressive in defending their home.

Learn key differences between bees and wasps.

Bald-Faced Hornets Are Social Wasps

According to Penn State University Extension, bald-faced hornets are not “true” hornets; they are actually yellow jackets. All species in the genus Dolichovespula build these big, gray “football shaped” nests. They’re often easier to spot in winter after leaves fall off of the trees.

Bald-faced hornets live throughout most of the United States, including Alaska, and also in Canada. It’s likely you have them flying through your neighborhood.

To identify these insects, look for distinctive white markings on their face, thorax, legs and abdomen.

Yellow jackets (a type of social wasp) are predators that feed on many insects. They also like sugar and may visit hummingbird and jelly feeders, especially in the fall, when their numbers are at their highest. Social wasps build large nests and are willing to aggressively defend them. There is one reproductive individual and hundreds of female “workers.”

Learn how to identify a thread-waisted wasp.

Do Birds Eat Bald-Faced Hornets?

“Is it true that birds will eat bald-faced hornets from a hornets’ nest that has been hit by frost and cold?” asks Birds & Blooms reader Arduth Palermo of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Kenn and Kimberly say, “Bald-faced hornets build nests of gray paperlike material, made from chewed-up bits of wood, but use them for only one season. As cold weather approaches, the queen hornet leaves to spend the winter in hibernation elsewhere. The other adult hornets, as well as the last larvae and pupae, remain in the nest, growing sluggish and eventually freezing to death. Once they’re immobilized, various birds may rip open the nest to eat the hornets inside. This has been documented for blue jays, woodpeckers and others.”

Next, learn how to get rid of wasp nests in birdhouses without pesticides and keep bees and wasps away from hummingbird feeders.

About the Experts

Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman are the official bird experts for Birds & Blooms. They are the creators of the Kaufman Field Guide series and they lead birding trips all over the world.