I don't know why the photo doesn't show up in the main post but here it is!

Hornet's nest.

Aww man, any idea what to do with this??

It's still small, so knock it down and smash it with your foot. OR...wait till nighttime when the few wasps are in it, and spray with wasp killer.

Ken, their sting is horribly painful and they can be aggressive. I wouldn't let that small nest get any bigger! I'm part of nature, too, and these things have no place in my immediate territory.

I walk around with a broomstick and knock off and smash any new ones I see. They like the eaves of my shed and the underside of my pool railing.

Is knocking them off really a good idea!??? I think I will call pest control and ask them what to do now, it's all sounding very scary!!

For starters I can't be certain whether it's a paper wasp or german wasp or even European hornet nest? They all sound a bit terrifying though especially seeing they can grow quite quickly! Eeeps...

There is really nothing scary at all. Get a can of wasp spray and spray when the sun goes down as a couple others have already said. Problem solved. If I am not mistaken, paper wasps build a new nest each year and each nest is started with one individual. Considering the small size of this nest there won't be more than a few wasps so it's really not that big of deal.

Rodney

That nest isn't big enough to deal with pest control. I do admit to calling them two years ago when 'out of the blue' one that was basketball sized appeared in a cherry. Hanging right over the circular drive exactly where one friend would typically park. Bald faced hornets (black and white, and large)

One your size, I would knock loose. And probably very early in the morning when still cool out and they aren't especially active. If its in an agreeable (easy) spot, you could have a bucket of soapy water underneath to catch the nest in. I wouldn't even spray and risk burning foliage on my tree for that newly occurring nest.

If someplace on my property (an acre) where they aren't threatening, I'll leave them. If later in the year they might be dangerous to people like my allergic mother, mail carrier, I'll remove.

That pest control experience was expensive (like $160) but I couldn't muster up enthusiasm for going out in other than daylight hours, climbing a ladder, trying to take care of it. He came, suited up fully and netted his face and neck, brought his own ladder and sprayed immediately into the entrance with something he said was non toxic to other than the hornets who came into contact with it. He came the next day again for followup, and removed the nest then.

Most people don’t know but wasps are beneficial insects. I only remove wasps if it’s placed where my kids or dogs could access it

Ken, , I think they should hire you at Disney. You could make all kinds of nature scripts. Wasps living in the Spit Wad House gives me a very vivid mental image. Some kind of buzzy theme song in the background that will haunt young parents for decades because their kid played it over/over/over. We could have a lot of fun with this! Heidi

Hi guys

As you are all(?) in the US, I make no comments re your wasps, other than only eliminate, using knockdown or water, if they are causing an active problem. Else let them be.

As an aside, when I lived in Queensland, Australia, I walked past a large Cereus, columnar cactus, one day, as I did every day, minding my own business. I suddenly noticed lots of tiny little pricks to my face. They weren't stings but felt like lots of very fine, stiff hairs being pressed against the skin.

When I looked, I saw I had been "attacked" by a little gang of small wasps, only a few mm long, defending a nest they were building. They stayed, for the summer, and I was more attentive to their comings and goings. They never needed to "warn" me.

Fof

I have literally worked directly underneath a huge paper wasp nest (goofily enough I was so busy I didn’t even notice it at first) and was not stung. My face was literally inches from the entrance hole. They had built a nest into the branches of a large shrub, it was near a front door. If it’s in an out of the way location, I would just leave them be. We also had one determined little bugger building a nest in the door jamb of a tool shed, even tho we kept scraping it off, it kept making a new one and it never stung anyone, we were just being cautious and trying to protect someone with allergies.

If you do end up spraying, there is no need to use the toxic stuff, which is bad for you and everything else. There is a mint-based spray that works instantly and very well. It's widely available.

Or you could leave them be, or use the hose. I'd join those here who are advising to take the route of doing the least damage. Good luck!

https://www.truevalue.com/organic-wasp-hornet-killer-9-oz-aerosol?cid=gooshop_google_ub&ctcampaign=4680&ctkwd=&ctcreative=310362576198&ctplacement=&ctadpos=1o1&ctmatch=&ctlocid=9021191&cttrgtid=pla-295228029729&ctfeedid=&ctnwk=g&ctdevice=c&gclid=Cj0KCQjwla7nBRDxARIsADll0kBUzkLG6WOjvXm2hsuMb45bDKIHwPTMwuMyyJPWAcMk4Bnf9rHo94AaAlBuEALw_wcB

My Corylus had this 18" tall X 12" wide nest that I passed by every time I mowed and never noticed...until I ticked them off by brushing against a branch. Three stings later and quicker movement than I had made in years, I brought out the hose and from 20 feet away dissolved the nest. They hung around for about 3 days but were gone a week later when I mowed again.

tj

In the fall, when they are dormant and the bees are gone, they are fascinating to inspect.