Ask A Scientist© Zoology Archive

 
name       Pam

Question - I have a question regarding white-faced hornets. I almost
never destroy their nests when they are built on my property. I know that
they prey on other insects and this seems a good quality to me. Am I
exposing neighbors to unwarrented risk of attack? I have found the
hornets to be docile if left alone. Do they have a comfort zone?
Thanks for any help you can give me.
Pam

A hornet's sting can pack a real wallop, but you are correct that unless
disturbed they are not aggressive. It is usually quite all right to leave
them alone if the nest is not within reach of the ground or is out of the
way of human traffic. In places where people are liable to intentionally or
unintentionally disturb the nest it might be best to remove them. I've found
that with caution one can walk up very close to a nest to observe it, I'm
not sure just how much disturbance they can tolerate before aggression.
J. Elliott
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