swellmomma Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 So earlier this week I discovered we had a big Bald face hornets nest in my front hedge. Last night I sprayed it like crazy and today we cut it out of the hedge and dissected it. Yup, we really are homeschoolers lol The larvae were still moving a lot, and we watched 1 adult emerge from a sealed cell, and at that point we stopped exploring it and tied it up in a garbage bag. I tried to show the multiple layers of the nest material. It had 3 sections of cells and they had started making a 4th one. The kids were thoroughly impressed with it and thought it was all very cool, but we all agreed that dealing with this once was more than enough! There was so many dead adults in the bottom, but seeing all the sealed cells ready for new ones to emerge was creepier for sure. That nest would have ended up huge if left until the first frost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted July 30, 2011 Author Share Posted July 30, 2011 More pictures, I reached the limit on the first post The blurred one is from when I saw the adult come out and jumped back as I was taking the picture lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Fantastic! But, I'm glad it was you and not me. (meaning: I would not have taken the time to admire it or learn from it.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 *shudder* Sorry. Cool, but...ick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Cool! When I was a teen, there was one built outside my window (you could see the inside of the hive from the inside of my room...the window was a glass window into their world). I watched them build that thing from the start to a small, but decent size. My stepdad got upset that I hadn't told him about it so he could knock it down. Why? I was on the second floor, they weren't hurting anyone, and I thought it was pretty cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted July 30, 2011 Author Share Posted July 30, 2011 *shudder* Sorry. Cool, but...ick! Trust me we all felt that way even as we cut it open and marveled at it. Both dd and I literally had shivers after we sealed the garbage bag around it for a moment. Gave us the heeby jeebies, BUT like a bad car crash we couldn't help but look :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Wow. I'm glad they're dead. :001_smile: We have wasps hanging around the back of the house all the time, but I haven't seen a nest yet (except some small ones a few years ago, and we've sprayed and removed them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted July 30, 2011 Author Share Posted July 30, 2011 Fantastic! But, I'm glad it was you and not me. (meaning: I would not have taken the time to admire it or learn from it.) Ha ha, that seems to be the way my family would have been, my mom and sister both thought I was nuts yesterday when I told them of the plan for today. I just could not pass up the opportunity to learn from it, even if I never ever want to repeat the experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted July 30, 2011 Author Share Posted July 30, 2011 (edited) Cool! When I was a teen, there was one built outside my window (you could see the inside of the hive from the inside of my room...the window was a glass window into their world). I watched them build that thing from the start to a small, but decent size. My stepdad got upset that I hadn't told him about it so he could knock it down. Why? I was on the second floor, they weren't hurting anyone, and I thought it was pretty cool. While learning how to kill them, I watched a Youtube clip showing a nest built on a window. I am going to show it to the kids later, because it gives a cool glimpse into the way they work in the nest. ANd that was not something I was willing to try to learn first hand while they were still alive to show it. :D Edited July 30, 2011 by swellmomma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 I'm allergic to the cursed things, so that amps up my *shudder* levels :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4wildberrys Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Wow! Fascinating, and yet so disgusting, at the same time ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 I'm not sure that I would have been brave enough to cut that thing open! Way cool though! And that thing is HUGE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Fantastic! But, I'm glad it was you and not me. (meaning: I would not have taken the time to admire it or learn from it.) :iagree: I'm shuddering just looking at the pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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