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Pest Index

Bald faced hornet

Bald-Faced Hornet

Binomial Name:  Vespula maculatabaldfacedhornet

Identification:

  • Overall Length:  Adult worker is 12-18mm
  • Colour:  Adult worker is black and white

Life Cycle:  In the spring, that have overwintered in protected areas become active and begin to build a nest.  She creates a few broad cells in the nest which she then  deposits with eggs.  In the summer, the colony grows until there may be 100 – 400 workers.

Behaviour:  In the early and summer, protein in the form of live prey is the usual diet.  As the season progresses and there are fewer larvae to feed, the workers will take nectar and other forms of carbohydrates.  The Bald-faced hornet can become aggressive if the nest is disturbed.

Signs of Infestation:  The Bald-faced hornet builds a large grey-blue soccer ball sized paper nest with a single entrance off-centre at the tip.  Usually a nest is suspended among the branches of a tree.