Bald-Faced Hornets Like to Watch Tennis in Old Bridge, NJ

Challenge

A property manager of an adult community in Old Bridge, NJ called our office after one of her residents spotted a large hornets nest near the tennis court. When we arrived, we saw the large, basketball sized nest and observed several angry bald-faced hornets nearby. 

Bald-faced hornets are social stinging insects that are a close relative to yellowjackets. The surface of their upper midsection almost looks triangular from the side, and they have white markings on their face. They build paper nests at least three or more feet off of the ground, that can be as large as 14 inches in diameter, more than 24 inches in length and are grey, paper-like, and enclosed. 

One very important fact that you must know about bald-faced hornets is that they are EXTREMELY aggressive and will not hesitate to sting anything that invades their space. Their stings carry venom that makes the stings hurt, itch, and swell for about 24 hours. Humans are at the same risk of allergic reactions from bald-faced hornet stings as with other insect stings. What makes them even scarier is they have smooth stingers, which means they can sting over and over again, can actually sense vibrations in the air, and remember their invader's face!

Solution

First, we applied an aerosol application directly into the nest and then a knockdown dusting application. Both of these treatments will rapidly exterminate the hornets. A short while later, we removed the nest and the branch it was attached to and disposed of them properly.