Bald-Faced Hornets Nesting in Attic Insulation in Wall Township, NJ

Challenge

As this homeowner in Wall Township, NJ, was taking down his Halloween decorations, he heard a "buzzing" noise coming from the corner of his attic. As he got closer to the noise source, he was suddenly attacked by several angry bald-faced hornets! He quickly left his attic and called our office for help!

We inspected the area and came across an active, volleyball-sized bald-faced hornets' nest that was lodged in the actual insulation as well as on the joists. Bald-faced hornets are social stinging insects that are a close relative to yellowjackets. The surface of their upper midsection almost looks triangular from the side, and they have white markings on their face. They build paper nests at least three or more feet off of the ground, usually in trees, shrubs, overhangs, houses, or other structures. These nests can be as large as 14 inches in diameter, more than 24 inches in length and are grey, paper-like, and enclosed. At their peak, their colonies may contain between 100 to 400 members!

Solution

First, we treated the nest with a knockdown aerosol application. This product rapidly exterminates the bald-faced hornets. Several moments later, we removed the nest, cleaned the area, and, at the homeowners' request, disposed of the contaminated insulation as well as the nest.