Basic Biology of Hornets
Bald faced hornets are one pest that is common in Michigan. This species is actually in the yellow jacket family and is not a true hornet. They form large paper like round nests, often in trees.
Hornets have a complete life cycle of four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The colony only lasts 1 year. In the Spring, nests are built initially for the season by the queen. By mid Summer there may be 100-400 members in the nest and they defend the nest aggressively. In the fall, males and new queens are produced. Before the cold weather, the leave the nest to mate. Fertilized queens hibernate in a sheltered location to survive winter. The remainder of the workers, the old queen, and the males do not survive winter.
If you have an active nest in your yard, we can help with our Stinger-StopperTM program. We have the equipment to safely remove the nest.