Photo: peterwchen, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Kansas City Pest Identification
Dolichovespula maculataBald-Faced Hornet Identification
The black-and-white wasp that builds the football-sized gray paper nest hanging from a tree limb, eave, or bush. Technically a large yellowjacket, and every bit as defensive around the nest.
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How to Identify It
Stocky, black with white (not yellow) markings on the face and the tip of the abdomen. Nest is a smooth, enclosed gray paper ball, up to two feet long, with a single entrance hole near the bottom.
Size: Workers 12–15 mm; queens to 20 mm
Commonly Confused With
European hornets (brown and yellow, much larger) and yellowjackets (yellow, hidden nests). The nest is unmistakable once it is visible.
Why It Shows Up
They nest in the open on trees, shrubs, eaves, and utility poles; not in walls. The problem is a nest at head height on a hedge, a swing set, or over the deck.
Where Homeowners Find It
Tree branches 3–30 feet up, dense shrubs, under eaves and deck overhangs, and on the sides of outbuildings. Often not noticed until the leaves drop in fall.
Seasonal Activity in KC
Colonies build from May, peak in August–September at a few hundred workers, and die at first hard frost. Old nests are not reused.
Risk Level
Aggressive defense of the nest within about ten feet, with the ability to sting repeatedly and squirt venom at eyes. A nest near a walkway, patio, or play area needs to go.
What You Can Do Yourself
- • Keep people and mowers well clear of the nest and wait for a professional.
- • A nest found after leaf drop in November is empty and can be removed safely.
What Professional Treatment Involves
Treatment at dusk with dust or aerosol into the entrance, then removal and bagging of the nest once activity stops. Ladder and PPE work; we don't recommend it as a DIY job at any height.
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Common Questions
How do I tell a bald-faced hornet from something that looks similar?
European hornets (brown and yellow, much larger) and yellowjackets (yellow, hidden nests). The nest is unmistakable once it is visible.
Do I need professional treatment for bald-faced hornet?
Treatment at dusk with dust or aerosol into the entrance, then removal and bagging of the nest once activity stops. Ladder and PPE work; we don't recommend it as a DIY job at any height.