How to get rid of hornets - drive away uninvited neighbors

Neighborhood with large wasps can bring a lot of problems. Beekeepers are especially affected by it. Hornets are the natural enemies of bees, destroying them in huge quantities. The hornet's nest in the country will spoil the rest, because you have to fear for the safety of children. After the first bites, the question becomes relevant - how to get rid of hornets? The confrontation between humans and insects lasts a long time, so there are enough ways to destroy wasps from makeshift traps to professional pest control in the arsenal.

Who are the hornets?

The family of social wasps is a colony of insects living in large families of up to several hundred individuals. It is rallied around the uterus, which lays eggs. Working females and males obtain food for the larvae and the queen. Hornets are the largest representatives of the aspen family. The body dimensions of the male are 18-24 mm, the uterus is 30-35 mm, the Asian species reaches 55 mm. Outwardly, the hornets are similar to their relatives, but significantly exceed their size.

The color of the hornet is characterized by the addition of brown on the back and base of the abdomen. The main characteristics characteristic of wasps are also present in them - a thin waist, membranous wings, strong jaws, a sting with poison.

Hornet's nest

Insects have spread throughout the European part of Russia, they can be found in Siberia, Transbaikalia and Primorye. In spring, in stable warm weather, the hornet uterus makes exploratory flights, choosing a place for the nest. She seeks a secluded shelter that protects the family from bad weather and enemies. A favorite place to build a nest is the hollow of trees. In their absence, the uterus begins construction under the roof of a house or an outbuilding.
The material for construction is the bark of young branches, mixed with saliva. In honeycomb cells, the uterus lays eggs. After a week, larvae appear from them. The queen feeds the first generation alone. By July, working individuals are growing up, who take care of the nest. The peak number of insects is observed in August-September. Young uterus appear at this time, and mating with males occurs.

Attention. The life expectancy of working individuals is 3-4 weeks, the uterus lives 1 year.

What do large wasps eat?

Adult hornets prefer sweet nectar, fruit and berry juice, honey. For their queen and carnivorous larvae, they catch insects: millipedes, butterflies, slugs, beetles, locusts. A family of several dozen individuals will help rid the garden of pests. For their offspring, they produce up to 500 g of insects every day. The diet of predators includes pests that are not hunted by birds.

Why are giant wasps dangerous to humans?

Hornets are peace-loving insects, they use their sting only for self-defense. The behavior of hornets changes dramatically near the nest. A person who is closer to the construction by 2-3 meters is perceived as an aggressor. The guards attack the intruder, striking with a sting.Hornet venom has toxins, causing severe pain and an allergic reaction to the body. Especially dangerous is its effect on the immune system of children.

Attention. The consequences of bites vary depending on the amount of poison introduced and the characteristics of the body. It can be edema of various degrees or anaphylactic shock.

If dangerous insects have settled under your roof, then you need to know how to get rid of the hornets nest. You should not postpone the event, with each month there are more individuals. The best option is to track the uterus and destroy its nest at the initial stage. The female hornet is notable for its considerable size (35 mm); you cannot confuse it with a regular wasp. If a huge insect often flashes on the site, then its nest is somewhere nearby.

Watch the uterus, it will lead to the house. So far this is a few hundred with larvae. They can be safely knocked down with an improvised tool and burned. Make sure the hornet is not nearby.

Fight tactics

There are two ways to get rid of an unpleasant neighborhood - by destroying hornets or their nest. The first option is suitable if the house of the colony could not be found. The second is more effective, it will allow you to get rid of all insects at once. To cope with insects will have to:

• find the nest;
• take care of a protective suit - tight clothing, glove headgear with mesh;
• purchase chemicals against wasps.

There are several simple but effective ways to get rid of the hornets that have settled under the roof of the house. It is recommended that you begin any activity in the evening when it becomes dark. During this period, insects are less active and gather in the house for the night.

1. Carefully approach the cocoon and treat it with foam from a fire extinguisher. The prospector should wet all the cells so that the inhabitants freeze under the influence of carbon dioxide. A nest without signs of activity is knocked down by a tool.
2. Take a spray of construction foam and pour the substance into the insect dwelling. The frozen mass will deprive them of the opportunity to fly out.
3. Take the container in which the nest fits completely. It boils boiling water or water mixed with an aggressive liquid - kerosene, bleach, vinegar. It is necessary in advance to prepare the object on which the bucket will stand. If the cocoon is under the roof itself, you will need a stepladder. The container is brought from below, immersing a nest in it. It is installed on the prepared pedestal and left for several hours. Honeycombs of insects will get wet and fall apart, and they will appear in the water.
4. How to get rid of hornets in the attic? Get an aerosol from stinging insects that is ready to use. The following drugs are suitable:
   • Dichlorvos is a traditional insect repellent, the active substance of modern composition is pyrethroid. The drug is produced by various brands, you can use any.
   • Aerosol Dr. Klaus - poison paralyzes wasps and hornets, making it impossible to move. The jet is directed towards the nest for 12-15 seconds. Processing is carried out behind closed doors and windows. If not all insects die from the first treatment, then the substance is sprayed again.
   • MOSQUITALL - aerosol with high pressure allows you to reach insects from a distance of about 6 m, which increases the safety of use. The hornet remedy has a quick paralyzing effect.

   Attention. Like all public insects, hornets communicate with each other. In the event of a threat to the nest, the male guards release an alarm pheromone, causing the entire swarm to come together and attack the enemy. Do not forget about the protective suit.

5. You can remove the insect dwelling using a dense plastic film or a bag treated with an insecticidal agent. The cocoon quickly turns into a film, its ends are fixed with tape on the ceiling.

Remedies for stinging insects

The fight against the winged threat is carried out by mechanical and chemical means. If the dwelling is built on the street, fire will help get rid of it. The honeycomb material is similar to paper, so it burns well after spraying with kerosene.This method is suitable for the destruction of insects that settled in the hole. The colony in the hollow of the tree is covered with a potent insecticide and putty putty.

Factory development against wasps and hornets

Mechanical methods of dealing with dangerous neighbors include traps. Among the popular models:

Argus Garden - a simple design suspended near the nest. Previously, fruit juice with honey or beer is poured into it. The principle of capturing insects is simple - they climb behind the bait, but can not get out. The product is cheap, so after filling you can buy a new trap.

Tip. After 1-2 days, it is worth checking the number of hornets in the trap, if there are very few of them, then the place is not chosen well. It is worth outweighing the design.

The Wasp Trap SWISSINNO trap is offered with the bait included in the kit. To activate the structure, open the glass and pour the bait powder into the container. Then the water is poured to the marked level. It is enough to shake the liquid and the trap is ready for use. Water evaporates over time, so you have to add new.

Muhoyar is a hornet trap that is very simple to make. A 2 liter plastic bottle is required. Sweet compote, syrup or juice is poured into it (Fig. 1). On the side of the container, a cross is marked with a cross where the plastic insert will be located. The wall is cut along the lines (Fig. 2). The trap is removed from the packaging and inserted into the prepared hole (Fig. 3). On the back of the bottle, incisions are made for better odor distribution (Fig. 4).

Homemade traps

Ready-made insect traps work efficiently, but there is no reason to pay for a container specially made at the factory. It can be replaced without problems with a glass jar or a plastic bottle. The do-it-yourself hornet trap works on the same principle - bait and inability to get out. To make it, you do not need professional skills and tools.

A clear plastic bottle of 1.5.2 or 5 liters is required. Dividing its height into three parts, cut off the upper third with a neck with a clerical knife or scissors. By lowering the cut-off part into the container, we get an effective trap. For wasps and hornets to fly inside, you need a sweet, slightly fermented bait. What to pour:

• fruit juice;
• sweetened beer;
• syrup with honey;
• soft raspberries.

Attracted by the aroma, small and large wasps crawl into the hole of the funnel, but not one can fly out of it. They remain trapped until they die. For a large area, one bottle is not enough, it is necessary to make and arrange 6-7 traps in the area. The container can be a glass jar with a twisting lid, in which a hole is cut, and the edges are bent inward. To attract os, a standard bait is poured.

Tip. They make holes in the bottles and thread the cord to hang it on a tree. You can just place them on the ground. If there are a large number of insects in the area, it is recommended to take a container of 5 l, then you will not have to empty the trap often.

To catch the insects probably died, insecticides are added to the bait:

• Karbofos is an organophosphorus compound with a wide spectrum of action. A highly toxic substance is used to kill harmful insects.
• Delta zone - the drug kills wasps 2-4 days after ingestion.
• Actara is an insecticide with the active substance thiamethoxam. Affects the nervous system of insects.

It’s dangerous to clean traps from living hornets, at which point they can sting. Dead insects from toxins are safely removed from the complete trap and then used again. Traps slowly, gradually reducing the number of dangerous neighbors. They can be hung on the site before departure, and on return clean full bottles.

Hornets and bees - how to protect an apiary

Peaceful coexistence of man and hornet is quite possible when their houses are located far from each other. And the neighborhood of large wasps and bees is completely unacceptable.Predators love to eat honey and its gatherers. They grab bees on approach to the hive or during the departure for nectar. Insects carry their prey to the hive, where they tear and feed the larvae. A large number of hornets in the apiary causes her irreparable damage.

Information. Beekeepers are very hostile towards members of the wasp family. This is not surprising, predators behave like wolves in a shepherd. One individual can tear up to 30 bees.

Methods of struggle

“In war, all means are good,” so many methods are used to destroy the hornets flying to the apiary.

Poisoned Bait

Knowing the carnivores of insects, a bait is prepared for them from minced meat or finely chopped meat mixed with poison. Predators eat it themselves, and also feed the larvae and uterus. This causes massive death of the colony. Poisoned meat is placed in plates or cans. They are put in drawers with holes or unused hives. Such precautions are necessary to protect pets (cats, dogs) from eating deadly food. Parisian herbs are used as poison.

Attention. Work with potent poison must be with extreme caution. Wash dishes and beehives with poisoned bait before subsequent use with hot water and liquor.

Traps

Special traps designed for wasps will help get rid of pests. Homemade or purchased containers with bait are placed throughout the apiary. In order not to attract bees, beer or kvass is poured inside.

Nest destruction

Caring apiary owners have been watching their pets since spring. If hornets are seen in the vicinity, they begin to search for the nest and immediately destroy it. All methods described above will do - chemicals, water and fire.

Bees are not so helpless before the attack of predatory insects. A strong family will independently cope with several invaders.

Destroy or not hornets in their area, each owner decides for himself. These insects benefit crops, but can, in close proximity, become a threat to human health.