How to eliminate a hornet's nest
As demonstrated by a young Orkin guy earlier today:
1. Park truck 100 feet away from tree containing nest.
2. Spray nest with nasty poison.
3. Run back to truck.
4. Whack nest with long stick, knocking it to ground.
5. Run back to truck.
6. Smoke break.
7. Spray broken remnants of nest with more nasty poison.
8. Leave poisoned nest on ground for other hornets to return to.
9. Send videotape to Al Orkineera for broadcast to surviving hornet population.
Comments (9)
Yup, that sounds pretty much how I've done it in the past, except for that poison part, that would have been so much easier. Though I have caught them much, much smaller in size, the nest that is.
Posted by moik | June 28, 2004 5:21 PM
What is good?
To crush your insect enemies, to see them driven before you and to hear the lamentations of their queen!
Posted by The Un-Candidate | June 28, 2004 5:58 PM
Did he really just have it fall onto the grass? Wouldn't it be easier to catch the falling nest in a large garbage can? Or a large tarp on the ground?
Posted by Scott-in-Japan | June 28, 2004 6:25 PM
He did it wrong because he was too lazy to make two trips out to the site. You spray the nest and then leave it alone for a day so all the stragglers can come back and get themselves poisoned too. Then after a day or so you can cut it down at your leisure and dispose of it without fear of flying hornets.
Posted by Kent | June 28, 2004 8:53 PM
Prof. You provided a great public service by posting a photo of the hornet's nest for those of us (me) who would not recognize a dangerous condition if they stumbled upon it. Before you go dark, as the apparent resident expert of horrible outdoor hazards, please consider posting a photo of the rat holes you mentioned a while back. Now that I know they exist, I'd like to know it when/if I see it. Sorry to see you go.
Posted by AFS | June 28, 2004 10:43 PM
Hornets are the heavyweight champions of stinging insects. I once hit a nest trying to get a baseball out of some bushes. In seconds, dozens of hornets were on me, getting under my shirt and giving me multiple stings. The pest company man came and put on a moon-suit before messing with the hornets' nest with a sprayed poison.
Don't cry for those hornets. They had it coming. In the words of Tony Montana in Scarface, "look at you now."
Posted by brother gary | June 29, 2004 7:39 AM
The smoke break is the most important part. If you don't smoke, run off to Starbucks.
When I did this, I took out way more anger than necessary on the little buggers. I should have taken a smoke break, even though I don't smoke.
It might have been better than breathing all the nasty poison.
Posted by jill | June 29, 2004 5:03 PM
What shall I do if we can't find the hornet nest? The ugly things are sworming my flower beds in our front yard. People are afraid to come to my door!!!!!!!!! HELP!!
Posted by lisa Hickman | July 9, 2004 11:05 AM
We would also like to know how to get rid of them in our yard if we cannot find the nest. I have tried spraying them with Raid but they just fly off or either try to attack me in the yard. I have stepped on two, however, you must be very careful that they do not see you coming or they will attack you. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Posted by Sheila | August 1, 2004 11:23 AM