No, hornets and wasps are not the same. Unlike wasps, hornets can bite too. Hornets are often tagged as Social Wasps. In Dubai, they coexist with humans much better than paper wasps and yellow jackets. In normal cases, hornets keep their self-control and do not attack humans. They feed on small insects and generally mind their own business.
One big problem, when it arises, is that hornets like to stay and build nests near to human habitats among other choices. And they are very dangerous when kids, pets or adults try to destroy or tamper with their nests. Hornets attacks can cause dangerous results including loss of life.
Is it safe to try and remove the hornets’ nest? What precautions do we need to take?
Unless you want to deal with a few stings and bites which can be very painful, it is easier to seek professional help to deal with the hornet's pest problem.
Hornets’ nests can be for a single hornet or a group. A lot of people try to squash using newspaper or similar items. While sometimes people succeed, the dead hornet releases a chemical that will attract other hornets to your living space.
If this was a stray hornet, there is a chance that you are unaffected. But if there is a hornet’s nest around, you just sent them an open invitation.
Hornets care a lot about their home and its safety. Hornets’ nests are normally in places that are not easy to access. This is a natural precaution they take against stray threats. It would be unwise to try and approach the nest without properly covering yourself from possible stings and bites, which can cause a lot of pain.
Do not try to detach the nest using a stick or other hard items. The best time to approach a hornets’ nest is dawn or dusk. After taking necessary precautions, use a safe and approved insecticide spray and apply it to the hornets’ nest. Make sure that you soak the nest in insecticide and do not give the hornets the chance to attack you in the process.
While it is better to seek professional pest control help from a Dubai Municipality or Sharjah Municipality approved pest control company, if you feel adventurous enough, leave the nest soaked in insecticides and remove it after a couple of days. Before this process, make sure that hornets are dead due to the action of pesticides. Otherwise, repeat the whole process and come back after a day or two.
This is one of the crazy ideas and we strongly recommend not to try this. This is a method that professionals often employ with the help of proper, high-quality protective gear and long-handled equipment. In this method, a hornets’ nest hanging on the branch is cut down and transferred into a bag soaked with insecticides.
The biggest problem with this method is that we are surely going to take some stings and bites. Better them be in protective gear. This is why it is a professional-only method. Even with the adventurous spirit, non-experienced persons often panic and ruin the whole process. Not to mention that they will end up exposing their body as well the whole vicinity to a swarm of hornets from the nest.
Once the branch falls into the plastic bag with insecticides, get rid of it as soon as possible either by digging a hole and dumping it or by burning it safely.
Vinegar traps are widely put into use to catch wasp and hornet queens even before they form the nest. This is an effective preventive measure because if they survive, each quest will have its own nest and will infest the area in a few years.
Dish soap and a piece of raw meat are also used along with vinegar to set this trap.
Make efforts not to present food sources that attract hornets. Cover beverages properly and deal with food waste in and around your premises properly.
Hornets are very good at smelling things. That is how they find food materials with ease. We can take advantage of this strength of hornets against them. Mix a few drops of clove oil, geranium and lemongrass essential oils as a smell based deterrent to hornets.