Hornets in Texas: Types and Where They Live

Texas has a total area of nearly 261,000 square miles and is the second-largest state in the United States. Prairies, coastal regions, deserts, and forests can all be found in the Lone Star State, and it is among the top agricultural producers in the country. Given this diversity, it stands to reason that various insect species would be present in these habitats. Thankfully, despite the adage “everything is bigger in Texas,” wasps, yellow jackets, and other stinging insects are not larger in the state. In spite of this, these pests are typically large enough to threaten your house and garden. Identifying the type of stinging insect you are dealing with is the first step in determining the most effective way to eliminate a wasp’s nest or cloud of hornets. So, what are the hornets in Texas, and where can we find them?

The hornet is a resilient and powerful insect, commonly feared and hated. Hornets have enormous, predominantly black bodies and light yellow stripes on their faces, making them one of the biggest and most aggressive wasp species. There are about 20 different hornet species, but the one in Texas is an exception. This article will uncover what type of hornet can be found in Texas, where they live, and other interesting facts.

How Do Hornets and Wasps Differ?

Hornet is actually a type of wasp. Consider it like squares and rectangles: a square is a certain kind of rectangle, but a rectangle isn’t always a square. The same is true with wasps; however, not all wasps are hornets.

Wasps and hornets can be aggressive and have multiple stings, unlike bees. These insects have various life cycles and slightly different appearances (hornets have wider heads and more rounded abdomens). Wasps can be sociable or solitary, whereas hornets (which live in colonies) are always social. Wasps are notorious for being parasitic, which means they lay their eggs on the bodies of other creatures (often dead bodies, so that the offspring will have food to eat once they hatch).

What Hornet Species Are Found in Texas?

Wasps and yellow jackets are frequently referred to as “hornets.” Although technically a yellow jacket, the only “hornet” identified existing in Texas is the bald-faced hornet. These pests are frequently mistaken for their relative, the Texas yellow jacket.

The lack of yellow hues on their bodies and the white markings on their faces, which give them the appearance of being bald, earn these hornets their name. The bald-faced hornet’s predominant coloration is black and white, distinguishing it from other wasps, which often have yellow and black coloring. The bald-faced hornet is larger than the typical hornet, measuring about 3/4 of an inch long and having three white stripes on its body.

Where Do Bald-faced Hornets Live?

Bald-faced hornets are one of the most aggressive wasps found all over Texas. The bald-faced hornet is more likely to construct its enormous paper nest close to where people live, work, and play. They will establish nests in trees, under eaves, and within children’s playhouses. However, since these insects’ nests are often built far away or in remote areas, where they are significantly less exposed to disturbances, they are less prone to behaving aggressively.

To build their nest, these insects chew wood and combine it with starch in their saliva. Like yellow jacket nests, theirs typically feature several layers of horizontal comb encased in an outer envelope. These hornets create gigantic, gray, egg-shaped nests measuring up to 3 feet long and 30 inches in diameter. These nests are usually about the size of a basketball or football. One overwintering queen starts one nest every spring. Males, new queens, and several hundred workers may all be present in late-summer nests.

What Do Bald-faced Hornets Eat?

Bald-faced hornet larvae and adults have diverse diets. The larvae of bald-faced hornets are fed solid materials, such as other insects and carrion, by the adult hornets, who themselves ingest juices and nectar (sweet liquids) from flowers and other sources.

Bald-faced hornets feed on food and drinks consumed outdoors and they scavenge in waste bins. They also eat ripe fruit grown in vineyards, farms, and gardens. Fall brings cooler temperatures and less available food, encouraging freshly released reproductive wasps to seek warm refuge, making them more likely to enter houses.

Are Bald-faced Hornets Dangerous?

Bald-faced hornets are dangerous due to their aggressive nest protection. These insects have terrible stings, and since they often live in big nests of 200 to 400 individuals, it’s unlikely that you will only get one if they think you pose a threat. Bald-faced hornets can repeatedly sting their victims with their smooth, venom-filled stingers. The complex protein mixture that makes up the venom can activate the target organism’s pain nerve receptors. Additionally, the wasp’s target may have allergic or inflammatory reactions due to these proteins. Bald-faced hornets can also release this venom through their ovipositors, which they can then use to spray on the faces (particularly the eyes) of any nest predators that disturb the colony.

Raccoons, foxes, and skinks are some of the nest predators, and these mammals destroy the bald-faced hornets’ nests to eat the larvae and pupae. Humans may also accidentally disturb bald-faced hornet nests, in which case the venomous workers may respond aggressively. Removing a bald-faced hornet nest is not a good idea if you are not professionally trained because of the species’ aggressiveness in safeguarding their nests.

How Helpful Are Bald-faced Hornets in the Ecosystem?

The bald-faced hornets’ quest for flower nectar causes them to distribute pollen from flower to flower, which could trigger many plants’ reproductive cycles. However, very little pollen adheres to their bodies because of their extremely smooth nature (which are represented by the adjectives “hairless” or “bald” in a number of their common names). Compared to, say, the honeybee or bumblebee, which are hairier, they are regarded to be less efficient pollinator species.

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