The name ‘hornet’ is used interchangeably with that of wasps and yellow jackets. However, there is one Canadian hornet we need to beware of.

The bald-faced hornet, pictured above, is the most commonly found hornet that exists within Canada. Like its wasp cousins, the bald-faced hornet thrives in warm weather, with the queen repopulating her colony every spring.

Unlike its wasp cousins, the bald-faced hornet is white and black in its colouring. It is still a part of the Vespidae family and considered to be a yellow jacket, so its relations to the paper wasps we’re familiar with are very close. Like its cousins, the bald-faced hornet prefers to nest using wood-based resources, and will typically choose any shed or wood-based location to build their nest. Not only does that include trees and hedges, but also your own home or commercial building.

They tend to build their nests up in trees and may go unnoticed until after the leaves have fallen from the branches. Bald-faced hornets do not use the same nest twice; instead, they build a new one every year.

While out in the wilderness the bald-faced hornet is actually a beneficial insect (it will eat flies and other small insects that can be pests too), it’s when a nest is built in urban areas and residential neighbourhoods that they become a threat. The hornet has the same ability as the wasp to sting repeatedly rather than only once before dying the way honey bees do. Their venom can be lethal to those who are allergic to stings as well.

If the above picture looks like your current pest problem and you didn’t find it while out camping but rather right by the patio or your front door, you need to get hold of a professional pest control company. Call your local Pest Boss and we can exterminate the hornets, remove their nest, and make sure your building and neighbourhood are pest-free. We’ll get you, varmints!