Bald-faced hornets are considered to be dangerous, and extremely aggressive. They were recently spotted in New Hartford.

While this author was mowing his lawn on 7/28, one of these bald-faced hornets stung/bite his leg. It was pain I've never experienced before, I honestly thought a piece of metal came out of the lawn mower and latched onto my leg. Also, this one in particular latched on to my leg and required me hitting it several times to remove.

First off, they aren't even real hornets. This species is a yellowjacket wasp, not a true hornet

What do bald-faced hornets look like?

Baldfaced hornets have white and black coloring.

It has a white or "baldfaced" head, which is the source of its colloquial name. These wasps also have three white stripes at the end of their bodies."

 

Are they really dangerous, or was this author being a big baby?

According to Thomas Pest Services, bald-faced hornets are considered to be dangerous because they will aggressively defend their nests and themselves from anything or anyone that they perceive as a threat.

Their stinger is smooth which means that they can inflict a painful sting over and over again to the person or animal they are “defending” themselves against. Like other stinging insects their venom has the ability to cause severe allergic reactions in people that may require immediate medical attention."

 

Bald-faced hornets can remember faces

If that sentence didn't scare you, get ready to be scared. Pestco confirms that Bald-faced hornets can remember faces.

Unfortunately there is no witness protection program to help disguise identity if a human inadvertently returns to the nest area (or from the hornet’s perspective, the scene of the crime). Once an intruder is within their sights, they will wait with all the patience of a hired hitman for their target to make another visit. They have been known to fly past other people in order to sting the invader to their nest."

I'm guessing this is why it attacked me. I destroyed several hornet/wasp nests at our home over the last few weeks.

 

How do you prevent them from coming to your home?

1) Make sure that trash cans have tight fitting lids. These bugs are attracted to properties with easy access to food, water, and shelter sources. They will feed on sweet liquids, garbage, and garden areas, and will be attracted to areas of standing water.

2) Caulk gaps around windows and doors.

 

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