Bald-Faced Hornet Control: How to Get Rid of Bald-Faced Hornets

This article is a general bald-faced hornet control guide. Follow the recommended products and steps listed throughout this easy-to-use DIY guide, and we guarantee complete control of bald-faced hornets and their nests in your home's yard.

Homeowners throughout the United States are all too familiar with aggressive pests such as bald-faced hornets, especially in the southeastern half. Depending on where you live, this wasp may go by other names such as a white-faced hornet, bald hornet, black jacket, white-tailed hornet, spruce wasp, or bull hornet. Though it goes by many names, this pest is mainly known by homeowners for its ability to be easily agitated and swarm its attacker to sting multiple times.

The bald-faced hornet is actually a type of wasp and a relative of the yellow jacket, although it is larger. Because of its large size and aggressive nature, it is called a hornet, even though it is not a true hornet. Like most wasp species, these pests make colonies in the spring with one queen.

Often, bald-faced hornets make their nests close to your home or on it, making themselves a possible threat to you, your family, and your pets. The stinger of the bald-faced hornet is smooth, which means it can inflict a painful sting repeatedly against you or others if they feel you to be a threat. Trying to get rid of bald-faced hornets is difficult for anyone, but it can be possible through the recommended products and tips listed throughout this DIY guide.

Identification

Before proceeding with treatment, you must be certain the wasp species infesting your yard is a bald-faced hornet. Misidentification can lead you to use the wrong pesticides, wasting your time and finances. Listed below are some key traits to know what bald-faced hornets look like:

• Unlike other wasp and yellow jacket species, which mainly consist of yellow and black coloring, the bald-faced hornet is mainly black and white. They achieved their name from the white or ivory-colored markings that covered most of their face, thorax, and towards the tip of their abdomen with three white stripes, while the rest of their body was black. The wings have a translucent dark brown coloration.
• They grow larger than most yellowjackets, with the workers growing up to 15 to 20 mm or longer and the queen's size being 3/4".
• They have a long, stout, wasp-like body with 6 legs, a set of wings, and one pair of antennae.

Use the image and description above to help you identify bald-faced hornets. If unsure, contact us with a photo of your pest via email or in person at one of our store locations. For your convenience, you may also reach out by phone. When you contact us, we can properly identify your pest and recommend an appropriate treatment approach.

Inspection

You can proceed with the inspection after properly identifying bald-faced hornets on your property. During this step, you determine where bald-faced hornets are found in your yard and the conditions attracting them to your home. As for aggressive pests, it would be best to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) that keeps you well-covered and fully protected, such as a Professional Bee Suit.

Where to Inspect

Bald-faced hornets make their nests at least 3 feet off the ground up in tree hollows or branches, shrubs, roof overhangs on sheds or houses, utility poles, underneath eaves or soffits, and against man-made structures like chimneys.

They can be attracted to your home with easy food, water, and shelter access. All of these can be found in your yard, especially if there are sweet liquids, garbage, garden areas with access to insects, and parts of your yard with standing water.

What to Look For

Bald-faced hornet nests are made from chewed-up wood fibers that become a paper-like material. Unlike hornets, paper wasps, or yellowjackets, which have an open cone structure, these pests have an enclosed round structure with one single opening towards the bottom of the nest.

These round nests start off small in the spring and become larger throughout the summer, with a tube extending downward as the colony expands.

As the weather becomes cooler, the nests become abandoned. The impregnated queen overwinters in other protected locations, such as logs or stumps, until spring. When spring arrives, the queen awakens to begin a new nest and hunt other insects, such as caterpillars.

Treatment

When dealing with stinging pests like bald-faced hornets, always use caution and protect yourself with personal protective equipment (PPE). We recommend you cover up as much exposed skin as possible with a professional bee suit to prevent stings and direct chemical exposure.

To get rid of bald-faced hornets on your property, you will use a combination of insecticides like Stryker Wasp and Hornet Killer, D-Fender Dust Insecticide, and Sylo Insecticide.

Stryker Wasp and Hornet Killer will quickly knock down bald-faced hornets, D-Fender Dust Insecticide will treat and kill them as they leave and enter the nest, and Sylo Insecticide will protect the surfaces of your structure from further pest activity.

It would be best to perform these applications in the evening since bald-faced hornets take shelter inside their nests at night.

Though not specifically mentioned by name, Stryker Wasp and Hornet Killer, D-Fender Dust Insecticide, and Sylo Insecticide are labeled to kill wasps, which is what a bald-faced hornet is considered.

Step 1: Spray Insecticide Aerosol Spray

Stryker Wasp and Hornet Killer is a 0.1% prallethrin aerosol insecticide that interferes with a wasp's central nervous system, leading to paralysis and eventual death in one convenient 20-foot spray reach. This safety is further seen with its ability to be electrically nonconductive up to 37,160 volts, meaning you can treat bald-faced hornets harboring around electrical equipment.

Stand from a safe distance of 6 to 15 ft. from the bald-faced hornet nest while holding the Stryker Wasp and Hornet Killer upright, but make sure not to stand directly underneath.

Align the nozzle valve opening with the mark on the valve cup. Then, aim the nozzle valve opening toward the nest with the wind at your back.

Spray the nest until it is thoroughly wet, and contact any escaping wasps so they are killed upon application.

This product may stain or darken asphalt surfaces and shingles. If you are concerned, test it on a small, not-easy-to-see area.

Step 2: Dust Nest and Exterior Wall Voids

When about 24 hours have passed after application with Stryker Wasp and Hornet Killer, apply D-Fender Dust to treat the remaining bald-faced hornets inside the nest or those that did not make contact with the aerosol product. D-Fender Dust Insecticide is a 0.05% deltamethrin insecticide dust that kills wasps on contact and remains effective by not clumping or absorbing moisture.

D-Fender Dust is intended to be applied with either a hand or power duster to wasp nests, wall voids, and surrounding areas where pests have been seen.

Use a handheld duster to apply D-Fender Dust directly into the void or nest opening for nests established inside structures.

Be sure to cover the entire opening perimeter as you apply the product at the labeled rate of 0.5 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. of treatment area. Do not treat overhanging nests.

Pour the appropriate amount of D-Fender Dust to fill halfway inside the Pro Blow Handheld Pesticide Duster. Do not overfill this duster, as too much product can cause blockage. Place the cap back onto the duster, then turn it upside down and shake to ensure the D-Fender Dust is properly mixed with the air inside the duster.

Thoroughly dust the nest, entrance, and surrounding areas near it. Occasionally, these pests may nest in wall voids, so it would be best to dust the extension tube end of the duster into these sites.

Carefully check treated nests one or two days after application before removing or destroying the bald-faced hornet nest. If you see pests still active, retreat.

Keep this product out of reach of children and pets.

Step 3: Perform Barrier Treatment

After treating the nests around your property, you will make a barrier treatment with Sylo Insecticide to prevent bald-faced hornets from reinfesting your structures.

Spray a 0.1% emulsion of Sylo. You can do this easily by mixing half an ounce of Sylo with one gallon of water. We recommend you use a handheld pump sprayer since you will be spraying around the perimeter of your structure.

Once your solution is mixed, apply Sylo around the exterior of your home and other structures. Treat along spots where bald-faced hornets would build nests, such as along eaves, underneath porch ceilings, and around voids in structures. This will leave a residual application that will help prevent wasps from re-establishing nests for up to 90 days.

Prevention

Once bald-faced hornets have been eliminated from your yard, you must take preventative measures to ensure these pests do not return. Follow these recommended preventative procedures to prevent and repel bald-faced hornets from your home and yard:

• Make sure that trash cans have tight-fitted lids and are stored far away from your home's foundation. This eliminates a possible food source for bald-faced hornets or other pests.
• Caulk the cracks and crevices around your home and other man-made structures on your property to prevent them from becoming a nesting site. Tight cracks should be sealed with caulk, while wider voids and crevices can be stuffed with Copper Mesh.
• Trim back any overhanging tree branches and overgrown shrubs around your home and structure, as bald-faced hornets prefer dense vegetation for nests.
• Lastly, be sure to keep up with regular reapplications of Sylo Insecticide. When applied properly, Sylo Insecticide will prevent reinfestation of treated areas up to 90 days after application. We recommend you apply Sylo Insecticide every quarter for year-round control. Spray along eaves and entry points like around door and window frames. Then, perform a barrier treatment by spraying along your home's outer perimeter 3 feet up and 6 to 10 feet out. When the application is complete, keep people and pets away from treated areas until completely dry.

Key Takeaways

What are Bald-Faced Hornets?

• Despite their name, bald-faced hornets are not true hornets but rather a type of wasp species closely associated with yellowjackets. Their aggressive nature and high population rate in colonies make these pests less than ideal for any homeowner's property.

How to Get Rid of Bald-Faced Hornets

• To get rid of bald-faced hornets, use Stryker Wasp and Hornet Killer to kill pests directly on contact, then treat nests with D-Fender Dust to treat any remaining wasps in the nests or that did not come into contact with the aerosol insecticide spray.

Preventing Bald-Faced Hornet Reinfestation

• Prevent bald-faced hornets from returning to your home and plants by applying a barrier with Sylo Insecticide every three months and pruning dense vegetation in your yard on a regular basis.