Help with tracking down hornets nest.

[aspencer]

Am being plagued with hornets every night, 10/15 around my home in E Sussex attracted by lights and small bugs. Can't open any windows as they come straight in. I do not want to harm them, they are not aggressive but we do have 3 small children and do want any 'accidents'. I catch them in a glass and then put them back out but being woken at 2am by what sounds like helicopter is quite frightening.
Have checked in/around house and near bordering wooded area but no luck yet.
Any tips of tracking nest down?
Can it be moved without harming hornets?
Any ideas on dealing/coping with this would be gratefully received

Annee

[Jason Green]

Welcome to WAB, Annee!

If the nest isn't anywhere near your home and you're having problems locating it - chances are, that it may not even be local! We're fast heading towards Autumn now and I'd expect their activity to start tailing off now.

Secondly, moving it is most likely to end up with you getting stung... and not just by one! Even if you were to successfully move it without too many stings - they may abandon through damage, and set up home nearer you! The nest may of course be in a nature reserve. If so, you would have no right in moving it.

I take it you have your windows/doors open/on a chain due to the summer heat - that's how they're getting in? Well, you don't have to shut them - just put mosquito netting up over them, secured at the four corners. Also, try keeping the lights down to a minimum around this time, or try lower wattage. It's most likely the light that is attracting them.

I have yet to see a hornet - send a few my way, won't you? I can definately see your concern, especially around children. Keep us posted. Good luck

Take care,

Jason

[Beekeeper]

aspencer If you haven't already done so, check your loft space just in case they are up there somewhere.

Judging by what you are saying with the amount of Hornets around i would think the nest is very close by, but as Jason has said it is not always the case, if your house is the only house in the area then you will have problems establishing where the nest is, but if you have neighbours also being troubled by the Hornets then at least you can assume the nest is not just local to you, if that makes sense.

During the day Hornets are out in force catching various insects, if you can track one or at least see which way it is heading once it has caught a meal then you can go and search around the general area and maybe you will come across it.

Hornet colony's can be moved but usually this is done early in the year before the nest has a large amount of workers, trying to move a nest at this time of year would probably be very difficult and very painful for anyone trying it without lots of protective clothing.

As the Hornets will have mapped out their surroundings, the first thing they would do is return to where the nest was and become very confused as a result of not finding it, that by itself can cause them to attack any unsuspecting person or animal nearby but usually they just mill around and eventually die.

If you can put up with them, do so as quite soon now once the weather starts turning colder they will all die off naturally.

BK