"Hornet" Helmet

[CharlieHorse]

These things always amaze me, I find hornet nests every year on my place of every shape and size imaginable. Mostly are found in the fall after the leaves are off and I'm usually in amazement as to how I missed hitting the nest with the tractor earlier, during the summer months.

The nest is almost in the center of the picture on the side of a tree:

[CharlieHorse]

A little closer:

[CharlieHorse]

  Now if I can just con the kids into painting some eyes on it.     I bumped the tree with the blade on tractor when I was grading the creek crossing, they didn't bother me at all.

[Reeves]

Paper Wasps sure make cool looking nests !

Odd, it survived birds, even though it's in the open.

Now if I can just con the kids into painting some eyes on it.

Pictures please 

[CharlieHorse]

 

 

You never know..........I've already talked my wife and youngest boy to hang on to the prongs on the dogs shocker collar while I pushed the button. And then a couple of months ago, I got the wife to go around checking my new electric fence with her hands....it wouldn't work, so I told her to put one hand directly on the hot post on the charger itself and the other on the ground rod, so I'd know if chrger was working........... ........now that was funny.....she really took a direct hit!     Even after that, she would still go around checking the wire for me.   A few days later I told my youngest boy that I needed his help checking the electric fence, he made it very clear (in light of the dog collar shocking), that he would have no part of an electric fence.  Curiosity must have got the best of him, he came home one day and told me that the fence works fine!     You couldn't pay me touch it, I've been shocked with big juice and my memory serves me well in that department..... Nothing like setting on a concrete floor, one hand on the hot water tank, and the other moves the bare live wire!!!!  Always check electric with a tester.....even if it's your own father who reassures you that the power is off!!  

I've never known any birds to mess with hornets, those things will kill a horse.

[wildergamebirds]

 

You never know..........I've already talked my wife and youngest boy to hang on to the prongs on the dogs shocker collar while I pushed the button. And then a couple of months ago, I got the wife to go around checking my new electric fence with her hands....it wouldn't work, so I told her to put one hand directly on the hot post on the charger itself and the other on the ground rod, so I'd know if chrger was working........... ........now that was funny.....she really took a direct hit!     Even after that, she would still go around checking the wire for me.   A few days later I told my youngest boy that I needed his help checking the electric fence, he made it very clear (in light of the dog collar shocking), that he would have no part of an electric fence.  Curiosity must have got the best of him, he came home one day and told me that the fence works fine!     You couldn't pay me touch it, I've been shocked with big juice and my memory serves me well in that department..... Nothing like setting on a concrete floor, one hand on the hot water tank, and the other moves the bare live wire!!!!  Always check electric with a tester.....even if it's your own father who reassures you that the power is off!!  

I've never known any birds to mess with hornets, those things will kill a horse.

  Seems to be a recurring theme, here.  I'm seeing a long line of sadistic, yet non-homicidal, Fathers.

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

Hey CharlieHorse,

I've got them all over the place as well, but not as low as what you have shown in the picture.

They are some nasty tards when you get them mad 

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

[slider]

The other day I was mowing along a fence row with my rider and all of a sudden there were Hornets flying all around me it looked like a hundred of them. They were hitting me all over but none of them stung me anywhere. They followed me about 50 yds from the under ground nest and I never got off the mower. I really thought that I was in big trouble. They were med. size and black with some yellow on there back. I went back later in my truck with the windows rolled up and pin pointed the nest and now I am going to have to despose of it.

[CharlieHorse]

   I get nailed every year from yellow jackets nests in the ground in my yard while running the weed eater or mowing. At first I always think I'm getting pelted with rocks, then when reality sets in, the race is on for the house. I've abandon the pushmower many times and just let it set and run out of gas, the weedeater I usually pack with me during the 200 yard dash. You'd be amazed as to how fast a 40 year old can run, I think I only touch the ground twice.

  Luckily, I've never been stung by a hornet, and don't need the life experience. There's usually one or two nests close to the house that I'll discover this fall. They've been scraping wood off of the barn all summer, so I know there's one close by.

I'm seeing a long line of sadistic, yet non-homicidal, Fathers.

        You fail to see the priceless learning experiences that I have provided them.....................and the joy I recieved setting them up, forces them to think for themselves.      Some things they'll never forget.  I continue to learn some things myself while teaching them, like.......never take a "Slim Jim" beef stick from your son that's teasing you and smack him with it, at least not as hard as I did my youngest son.     Lesson learned..........Slim Jims can be used as weapons or dissaplinary tools. Never kick around a rotten log that you find in the woods (Huge bumblebees build nest in them).........another lesson my youngest taught the rest of us, his stung ears swelled up like balloons, wish I took pictures.



 

[slider]

A 12ga. 3 in. Mag. will take them out pretty good...just get ready to run or do it from your truck..

[CharlieHorse]

Not that anybody gives a hoot, but here's an updated picture:

 

[CharlieHorse]

Where'd they all go?   

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

Where'd they all go?   

Before



after



What happened? Who broke up the nest? These  are still active in the woods by me. We need the heavy frost to send these guys packin.

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

[CharlieHorse]

Thanks!!

What happened? Who broke up the nest?

 There is no sign of anything destroying the nest, just normal deterioration I guess?  Even nest high up in the trees have this same fate in years gone by.  They seem to come apart rather quickly after they've been abandon.       I never paid any attention as when it started deteriorating or when it appeared vacant.

[Reeves]

See this lots up here.
When the leaves fall, seems birds will tear the nest apart when they are stupid/cold and eat them. Bears will as well....but the nest will be torn up more.

Cool that you took more pictures of the nest though !