Western Exterminators - Pest Control Services California, Arizona, Nevada

Stinging Insects: Bald-faced Hornet | Carpenter Bee | Honey Bee | Paper Wasp | Yellowjacket

	Common name:	Latin name:	Class:	Order:	Family:
	Bald-faced Hornet	Dolichovespula Maculata (Linnaeus)	Insecta	Hymenoptera	Vespidae

	Size:
	Workers are about 5/8-3/4 inch or more long; Queens are 3/4 inch or more long.
	Color:
	Mostly black with white markings on most of its face, hence the common name, "bald-faced". Their wings are smoky.
	Where Found:
	Throughout the United States.
	Nest:
	Gray, paper carton nests with many compartments and a papery outer covering, which may hang near ground level or very high in trees, shrubs, vines, overhangs, sheds, or utility poles. May be out in the open or well-hidden. When mature, a nest may reach a diameter of 14 inches and a length of 24 inches. Nest is not reused the following year.
	Biology:
	Social insects with queens that lay fertilized eggs, workers that are sterile females and males that come from unfertilized eggs in late summer. Only queens survive the winter. In spring a queen builds a nest from chewed up cellulose and lays one egg in each compartment or cell as she builds it. She feeds the larvae protein from other insects and flower nectar. When the first workers emerge a month later, they take over feeding and nest building while she continues to lay eggs. Eventually there will be 3-5 combs or clusters (of several hundred cells each) which are attached one below the other. The nest will have 100-400 workers at its most active time. Later, when the colony is declining, larger cells are built to raise queens and males. Newly hatched queens and males leave the nest to mate. The queen that started this year's nest, the workers and the males all die. Only the new queens survive the winter by hibernation in sheltered places.
	Damage:
	Although a nest near a structure or close to the ground may be a nuisance and may need to be removed, Bald-faced Hornets are beneficial as they eat many pest insect species.
	Control:
	These stinging insects require special handling. In some cases, treatment will need to be performed at night when most of the insects are in their nest. Aerosol or dust products are the most effective. Personal protective equipment should be worn by the applicator in most situations. Poor application techniques may result in aggravating this insect and the applicator may be stung if precautions are not taken. Due to the inaccessibility of nests and the need to contact them with a control material, it may be beyond the ability of the property owner to eliminate the problem. Professional exterminators are equipped with protective bee-suits, appropriate control materials and application equipment that insure overall safety in the control process. Once insects have been controlled, entry points on structure should be sealed if nest was located there. If you attempt to control these insects and make an application, be sure it is registered for the target pest/location. Read the entire label prior to use. Follow all label directions, restrictions, and precautions.