For many homeowners, a hornets’ nest at home is a big problem. Not only can these pests cause significant damage to a home, but their sting can also cause an allergic reaction. The sting of a hornet, too, is much more painful than that of a wasp’s because their venom is composed of about 5% acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in pain transmission.
Steps to Remove Hornets’ Nest
If you suspect that a horde of hornets have built a nest in your home, then here are the steps that you need to make:
- The first thing that you need to do is to look for the hornets’ nest. Now, this can easily be done during the evening when the hornets are returning to their nest. All you have to do is to look for the hornet swarm and follow them to their nest.
- Once you have found the nest, you can use your store bought pesticide to kill off the pests. You need to keep at least a 15-feet distance away from the nest though to administer the product. The distance can give you some protection against the hornets.
- The best time to spray the hornets’ nest is in the evening when the pests are in the nest and their movements are more sluggish. You need to spray the entrance of the nest while maintaining a safe distance. Some of the hornets are going to swarm outside, of course, but don’t be alarmed. The chemical from the pesticide is sure to kill them on contact. After you’re done spraying the nest, you need to look for stray hornets and spray them directly with the product.
- Don’t remove the nest just yet, instead spray it once more the next day to make sure that you have totally gotten rid of all the hornets in the nest as well as the surrounding areas.
Of course, in administering the product, you need to wear protective clothing. This will include wearing clothes that are thick enough to prevent the sting from touching your skin, boots and very thick gloves for your feet and hands, and safety goggles for your eyes. It will also be better if you wear a mask with a protective net to keep them off your face. Make sure that there are no holes or spaces in your clothing where the hornets could enter.
Keep Hornets from Coming Back
The next steps are to get rid of the nest and make sure that the pests never come back.
Remove the nest, destroy it, and then place the destroyed nest in a trash bag, preferably a thick one. Once done, you need to thoroughly clean the area where the nest was once located. Use water and soap to give the areas a very thorough cleaning and washing as well as to eliminate the scent of the nest. Otherwise, the scent might attract a new horde of hornets to come and make a nest in the same spot.
Removing a hornets’ nest is easy, but if you want to be safe, then hiring a professional will be a good idea. Not only do they have the proper equipment, but they also know how to safely, efficiently, and effectively get rid of the pests.
Jennifer Dyll, a mother of two, is a freelance online writer. She has had problems with hornets and found that the best way to get rid of them is to call a pest control company. In choosing a company, her best tip is to read reviews, such as reviews of Rove Pest Control or other pest control companies.
