Bald-faced Hornet
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Dolichovespula maculata is a species of wasp in the genus Dolichovespula and a member of the eusocial, cosmopolitan family Vespidae. It is known by many colloquial names, primarily bald-faced hornet, but also including bald-faced aerial yellowjacket, bald-faced wasp, bald hornet, white-faced hornet, blackjacket, white-tailed hornet, spruce wasp, and bull wasp. Technically a species of yellowjacket wasp, it is not one of the true hornets, which are in the genus Vespa. Colonies contain 400 to 700 workers, the largest recorded colony size in its genus, Dolichovespula.[1] It builds a characteristic large hanging paper nest up to 58 cm (23 in) in length. Workers aggressively defend their nest by repeatedly stinging invaders.[2]
The bald-faced hornet is distributed throughout the United States and southern Canada, but is most common in the Southeastern United States. Males in this species are haploid and females are diploid. Worker females can, therefore, lay eggs that develop into males.
The bald-faced hornet gets its name from the characteristic white markings on its face, as the word \"bald\" in English is derived from the word \"piebald\".[3] It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1763 Centuria Insectorum. D. maculata is part of the cosmopolitan family Vespidae, in the genus Dolichovespula. Its black and white coloring differentiates it from its mostly black and yellow congenerics.[1]
The bald-faced hornet is distinguished from other yellowjackets by its white and black coloring. It has a white or \"bald-faced\" head, which is the source of its colloquial name. This wasp also has three white stripes at the end of its body and is notably larger than other species of Dolichovespula, as adults average about 19 mm (0.75 in) in length.[4] Queen and worker wasps have similar morphologies. Queens are always larger than workers in their colonies, though size distributions can vary in different nests, and workers in one colony might be as large as a queen in a different one.[1]
D. maculata creates egg-shaped, paper nests up to 360 mm (14 in) in diameter and 580 mm (23 in) in length. Nests are layered hexagonal combs covered by a mottled gray paper envelope. Bald-faced hornets create this paper envelope by collecting and chewing naturally occurring fibers. The wood fiber mixes with their saliva to become a pulpy substance that they can then form into place.[4]
The bald-faced hornet lives in North America, including Canada, the Rocky Mountains, the western coast of the United States, and most of the eastern United States. It is most common in the Southeastern United States.[3]
Bald-faced hornets are omnivorous, and considered to be beneficial due to their predation of flies, caterpillars, and spiders. Their aggressive defensive nature, though, makes them a threat to humans who wander too close to a nest or when a nest is constructed too close to human habitation. They vigorously defend the nest, with workers stinging repeatedly, as is common among social bees and wasps. The bald-faced hornet has a unique defense in that it can squirt or spray venom from the stinger into the eyes of vertebrate nest intruders. The venom causes immediate watering of the eyes and temporary blindness.[4]
Diet in D. maculata varies depending on an individual's life cycle stage and geographic location. Adult yellowjackets, like true hornets, are carnivorous, and prey upon several insect types. They have been observed consuming meat, spiders, fruit, and insects. Adults also drink flower nectar, which they feed to their larvae.[10]
Female bee moths (Aphomia sociella) have been known to lay their eggs in bald-faced hornet nests. The hatched larvae then proceed to feed on the eggs, larvae, and pupae left unprotected by the wasps, sometimes destroying large parts of the nest as they tunnel throughout looking for food.[11]
The baldfaced hornet is an 'aerial yellowjacket' - one of 7 or 8 species in the genus Dolichovespula in North America. However, it is not a 'true' hornet - it is a yellowjacket. The only hornet in North America is the European hornet, Vespa crabro, and it is an accidentally introduced species. All of the yellowjackets in the genus Dolichovespula build nests in bushes and trees (sometimes on the outside of buildings), and produce the characteristic football shaped, grey papery nests.
The baldfaced hornet gets its name from the ivory-white markings on the face. The thorax, legs and abdomen also have white markings. The queen and her offspring range in size from 13 mm to 20 mm - the queen is usually the largest yellowjacket in the colony.
Baldfaced hornets can be considered a beneficial insect in that they reduce populations of unwanted insects (including other yellowjackets) and will help pollinate flowers when they are searching for nectar. Therefore, unless the nests are located close (within 10 feet) of an entrance to a building, under an eave that is close to the ground or in shrubbery next to a lawn that is mowed, the nests can be ignored. However, individuals with known sensitivities to wasp and bee stings should have any nests close to their homes removed by professional pest management personnel (pest control companies).
Those individuals without medical concerns and with a degree of daring can kill the colony by spraying a 'wasp and hornet' spray into the nest opening during the nighttime. The nest should be scouted during daylight to determine the best approach that will not disturb the wasps prior to introduction of the insecticide. DO not stand away from the nest and spray only the exterior as this will anger the colony and increase the risk of stings during the next several days. Effective control can only be achieved by stealthy approach and then spraying the pressurized material directly into the nest opening - holding the nozzle against the hole. The pressure of the spray in addition to the nozzle will retard any attempts by the wasps to exit. It is advisable to wear long sleeved clothing, long rubber gloves and goggles to protect yourself from any insecticide that falls out of the nest or splashes off the surface. Launder clothes and take a shower immediately after application if any insecticide falls on you.
The bald-faced hornet is not a true hornet but is a relative of the yellow jacket and other wasps. It gets its common name from its largely black color and mostly white face, and is commonly referred to as a hornet because of its large size and aggressive nature.
Bald-faced hornets greatly resemble their yellowjacket relatives, with black bodies and a predominantly white-patterned face. They also have two slanted lines running from their midsection towards their head and on the latter part of their abdomen. Like yellowjackets and paper wasps, the surface of their upper-midsection almost looks triangular from the side.
Queen bald-faced hornets are larger in size than their adult-worker counterparts. Their aerial nests are grey and paper-like, but they are enclosed unlike the open cone structure of other stinging hornets and insects, like yellowjackets and paper wasps.
A bald-faced hornet infestation is clearly visible with the presence of a nest, which would be suspended above the ground. There will also be worker bald-faced hornets flying around the nest and nearby area if there is an infestation.
Avoiding contact with these insects is key to prevent getting stung. Homeowners should seal up any tiny openings like cracks where bald-faced hornets would be able to enter when seeking shelter. Keeping food covered, especially when outdoors, will also help keep these insects at bay. When spending time outside, people should avoid wearing strong fragrances and opt for unscented hygienic products. Likewise, they should wear shoes that cover and protect their feet from rogue hornets.
Bald-faced hornet stings carry venom that makes the stings hurt, itch and swell for about 24 hours. Humans are at the same risk of allergic reactions from bald-faced hornet stings as with other insect stings.
Bald-faced hornets build paper nests at least three or more feet off of the ground, usually in trees, shrubs, on overhangs, utility poles, houses, sheds or other structures. These nests can be as large as 14 inches in diameter and more than 24 inches in length.
Bald-faced hornets are aggressive and will attack anyone or anything that invades their space, unlike other stinging insects that may only rarely sting when they feel extremely threatened. This makes bald-faced hornet removal, which should be left to a professional for safety, somewhat difficult. These hornets have smooth stingers, so they can sting over and over again, whereas other stinging insects, like honeybees, are only able to attack once before their stinger falls off.
Bald-faced hornets build their nests in trees and shrubs and construct them out of wood pulp (literally paper). These wasps chew wood, mixing it with starches in their saliva, and use this substance to make the nest. Nests eventually have several layers of horizontal comb enclosed by an outer envelope, just as yellowjacket nests do. Each nest is begun in spring by a single overwintered queen. Late-summer nests may contain several hundred workers, as well as males and new queens. Bald-faced hornet nests are often so high off the ground they pose little problem for people.
Aggressive nest defense makes these wasps a stinging threat, but their foragers do not collect sweets or food scraps and are not aggressive away from the nest. Like all wasps, bald-faced hornets do much that benefits human interests and should not be destroyed indiscriminately.
Ozark folklorist Vance Randoph, writing in the 1940s, reported that \"nearly every old-time mountain cabin\" had an empty hornets' nest hung up in the loft, and that people even tied them up in newly built homes that were not yet occupied. The nest was supposed to bring good luck to everyone in the household, especially regarding childbirth and other reproductive