When is it safe to remove a large bee/hornet/wasp nest?

[Matt Meiser]

I found a basketball-size nest in one of our trees today. About 6'above my head when mowing all year! Wondering when it is safe to cut it down? We've had a light freeze or two but nothing hard.

[David Weaver]

I'd wait until it's about 35 degrees and smash the thing with the lawnmower once it's down.

Of course, I could be wrong, and it'd stink to find out that they keep the center of the next at a higher temperature by moving in it, even in the winter.

[Matt Meiser]

Want to come try for me?

Pretty sure looking at pictures that its a wasp nest. I'd like to be sure to kill whatever is left in it and hopefully eliminate some for next summer.

[John Coloccia]

Want to come try for me?

Pretty sure looking at pictures that its a wasp nest. I'd like to be sure to kill whatever is left in it and hopefully eliminate some for next summer.

I found out a couple of years ago that I'm allergic. For large nests, I call in pro's because I just can't risk getting stung 20 times. That said, if it looked dormant, I would simply stand back and spray it with wasp killer spray. That stuff will shoot 20' and absolutely destroy the nest and anything in it. Just drench it. By the next day, it will be destroyed and everything in it will be killed. You'll know if they're still active the first instant you spray it, but they'll come out flying as walking dead and just drop to the ground in seconds. I suggest you just get two cans, one in each hand, and start spraying. Have a good escape route planned. If you're allergic and not feeling brave, just call a pro.

[Ole Anderson]

Matt, no guts, no glory. Wait until it is below freezing, climb up on a tall ladder, cut it out, bag it and set it out for the garbage man after soaking it with wasp killer.

[David G Baker]

Matt
Spray the nest with stinging insect spray (the kind that reaches a long distance) into the opening in the evening when it is cold and all of the critters are in the nest. Watch the nest for a day or so to make sure all activity has ceased. I get a ladder and a black garbage bag and put it over the nest, break the nest off of the tree and seal it with the attached ties to be safe. I have done this several times with out any problems. You can spray the nest and just leave it until you feel safe about taking it down. When I find an in-ground nest I pour diesel fuel in the hole after dark. This kills them. The reason for waiting until after dark is to make sure they are all in the nest. Good luck.

[Peter Kelly]

If you're really dying to get rid of it you could cut it down at night when it's cooler with a pole pruner. Most insects won't really fly around below 50°.

Wasps almost never come back to a nest anyway so you could just leave it. It'll decay by itself over the winter.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

David's recommendations are spot on as usual.

We have a lot of yellow jackets in the area and they often will set up nests on the overhang of roofs. I do as David suggests.....wait until dusk when they return to the nest and spray them with wasp spray. Watch the nest for a day or two and then remove it.

Typically, even if they aren't all in the nest, they will abandon it and not return. I've seen them fly around it for a short while and then I don't see them anymore.

[Rick Moyer]

If you're really dying to get rid of it you could cut it down at night when it's cooler with a pole pruner. Most insects won't really fly around below 50°.

Wasps almost never come back to a nest anyway so you could just leave it. It'll decay by itself over the winter.

Right. You can leave it or take it down this winter/spring. They will build a new one somewhere anyway. Likely not using that one now or much longer.

[Derek Gilmer]

This about sums it up for me:
kill-it-with-fire-demotivational-poster-1235695993.jpg

[Lee Schierer]

Matt, unlike honeybees, wasps don't reuse their hanging paper nests from year to year. You can either leave it and the winter weather will take care of it or take it down. Any remaining wasps will be inactive if the temp is below 35. Some school biology teachers like to get the empty nests and if you get it down in one piece, you can cut it in half and see the details of the nesting area inside.

[Jay Jolliffe]

Wait until they vacate it and donate it to the science class at the grade school.....I bet they would really like to see it. I had one that they built on the glass in a window & you could see all the workings inside but unfortunately someone came along & scraped it off before I could remove the glass from the window...

[Jeff Monson]

Matt, you have gotten great advice so far. You can wait till it gets colder and safely remove it. They will not return to this nest and vacate when the weather gets cold. I'd 2nd Jay's advice on donating it to a school. Here is a pic of my son with one we removed this summer. It was about 8' up in a tree beside our house, I had this one sprayed by a pro. as I didnt feel like flirting with disaster with a nest this size.
2012-08-30_18-59-13_784 (920 x 1632).jpg

[Ken Garlock]

Matt, the solution to your problem is so simple that you will be amazed. Go to your local Borg, and get a can of Wasp ;and Hornet spray. It will spray a stream a good 10 feet or more.

Wait until after dark. All the critters will be in the nest. Get about 5 or 6 feet away from the nest and let them have it with the spray. They will come falling out. The bees are slow at night and you have the entire family to shoot down in just a couple blasts. The next day cut down the nest and burn it or bag it up for the trash man.

This also works on Black Widow spiders, but the old girl takes about a half dozen blasts to do her in. Don't forget the nest of eggs.

[Kevin Bourque]

12 ga. shotgun with birdshot does the job quite nicely.