Everything You Need to Know About Hornet’s Nests

Hornets are large (and slightly scary) members of the wasp family. Several species are found in North America although there are even more in Asia. Hornets have been known to attack people if they feel that their nest is being threatened so it is a good idea to learn all about them. You can do just that by clicking through our slideshow.

Hornets are a type of wasp and can be distinguished by their wider heads and rounded abdomens. They are social insects that live in a colony with a constructed nest. A fertilized queen builds a nest in the spring and lays eggs that hatch into female workers that take over building and maintaining the nest while the queen focuses on laying more eggs. Male drones emerge in late summer with the short-lived purpose of finding a mate. Adult hornets feed on plant matter including nectar, sap, rotten fruit - and other insects.

Hornets are social creatures that can have big hives. And the size of their hive directly correlates to how big their nest is. Some nests can grow as big as a basketball and often have a tear-drop shape to them. Hornets construct their nest by chewing wood, which they mix with their saliva to form a paper mâché-like material. And hornet's nests also have a single entrance toward the bottom of the oblong structure. They are grayish brown in color.

Where a hornet builds its nest largely depends on the species. In the United States, we have three main hornet species: the bald-faced hornet, the European hornet, and the giant hornet. The European hornet builds its nest in open attics and inside walls. And the bald-faced hornet typically picks a spot in a tree or a thick bush. Unlike yellowjackets, who often find old burrow holes to build their nests, hornets place theirs well above the soil.

Hornets begin building their nests in late spring, and the construction continues through the summer. Once the brood of new queens leaves the nest in the fall, the nest is abandoned. The remaining male hornets around the nest will eventually die due to starvation and cold temperatures. While hornets never reuse an old nest, they often come back and build a new nest in the same spot. If you find a hornet nest on your property, you might be surprised to find a new one in the same place the next year.

The new batch of queens and older mated queens abandon the nest come fall. They hibernate in rock crevices, under bark, among leaf leather, or inside burrows, waiting out the winter until spring. However, male hornets stay with the nest and die in the late fall and early winter. They can't survive in cold temperatures. But the queens rebuild their nests in the spring and start the process over.

Hornets are active during the spring and summer. And their lifespan only lasts one season, except for fertile queens who build nests and produce the following year. You won't find the queens out buzzing around during the cold months because they bunker down to survive the winter. During the warmer months, hornets are active during daylight hours and become inactive at night. If you plan on getting rid of a hornet nest on your property, it's best to do it after dark.

Hornets can be the most aggressive in the late summer to early fall when they are on high alert for preserving their last brood, which will go on to become the new queens. Reports of hornet stings tend to go up during this time of year.

Hornets can be found all over the United States, but they prefer warmer regions. Hornets thrive when there's heat and have trouble adapting to temperatures below 50 degrees. You are likely to find more hornets in areas with a warm, mild climate. And they live in many habitats, such as woodlands, meadows, parks, gardens, and urban and suburban areas.

Technically, hornets are wasps. A better comparison would be to examine the nests of different wasp species. For instance, the paper wasp builds a hexagonal-shaped nest, where it places it on branches and eaves. And the mud dauber's nest looks like a long tube made of mud or clay placed in covered areas like porches.

Apparently, hornets and other wasp nests are all the rage in home decor now. People use them to add a unique touch to their homes, and they double as a conversation piece. You can find them on Ebay ranging in price from $5 to $100.

A hornet eats tree sap, leaves, flies, bees, and more. Their carnivorous nature leads them to consume many other types of bugs, but they are also known to eat many other things as well. 

Hornets have been known to enjoy drinking apple juice from fallen apples. The damage hornets can do depends on the species. Hornets are actually a type of wasp, with 22 recognized species. The most common hornet in North America and Europe is the European hornet, which will feed on bees but isn’t a threat to the hive.

However, other hornet species have a far more voracious appetite. For example, the Asian giant hornet can kill up to 40 bees per minute and can decimate huge numbers of bees in a short period. Scientists continue to worry about reports of invasive Asian giant hornets (often called murder hornets) because of the damage they can do to bees that aren’t equipped to defend themselves in Europe and the Americas.

A hornet has been known to eat the following foods:

• Bees
• Flies
• Caterpillars
• Other types of wasps

• Crickets
• Grasshoppers
• Moths
• Bark

• Tree sap
• Leaves
• Fallen fruit or food

Now we’ve answered the question, “what do hornets eat,” it’s time to take a peek at just how they obtain their dinner. A hornet hunts using its venomous stinger and its ability to fly at high speeds. A hornet is one of the most poisonous species of wasps, even to humans. However, contrary to popular belief, hornets are not a very aggressive species of wasp.

A hornet is unique in its ability to carry away its prey. It has a powerful mandible for biting, and it uses its many strong legs to grip its prey and carry it back to its queen. A hornet can carry prey that is bigger than it.

According to Evolution Journal, some species of hornets have barbed stingers that they carry their prey on. This is a terrifying image, especially if you picture whatever bug it is carrying as being incapacitated by venom!

Again, in the grand scheme of wasps, hornets are one of the least aggressive flying, stinging insects, at least for people. They are not interested in picking fights, unless they feel threatened from the get-go.

The hornet has a few common predators, including:

• Birds
• Frogs
• Lizards
• Bats
• Spiders

• Hedgehogs
• Badgers
• Skunks
• Wolverines