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I finally decided to tackle my creeping fig, which was starting to climb up into the eaves of my house. So, I’m out there, happily pruning away when, wouldn’t ya know it, I look up and see this hornet’s nest. What do I do? Go to the IPM website for the least toxic but still effective control method. Surprisingly, there wasn’t an entry for hornets in particular! Now what to do? Go to Google.

University of Kentucky

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2077.html

From these websites, I learned that hornets can be really aggressive. They recommend full “bee garb”, spraying at dusk or nighttime when the hornets are likely to be in the nest. I did call 2 prominent local pest control companies. The first wasn’t sure if they treated hornets, then left me on hold so long that I hung up. The 2nd said they’d treat the nest for $139 but when I asked about the importance of treating at night to get rid of all the hornets, the man told me they’d come back within 30 days to re-treat. All they were going to do was spray (during the day) and knock down the nest. Jeez, anybody can do that… Or, rather, anybody’s husband can do that. 😉 I was asked twice to sign up for their bimonthly spray service. No thanks.