RAH, I had a feeling you would be the first one to get it right.
I saw them going in and out of it last night.
Now, what would tear apart the nests right after first frost, or the first few high 30°F nights? In the past 3 or 4 years I've had them low to the ground, at the tip of flimsy branches in an Ash tree, and towards the outside of 40' tall Arborvitae Trees, and all have had their bottoms ripped out. I want to keep one for a decoration, and something keeps ripping them apart on me. There are still Hornets in them, last year they tried to repair the nest but it got hit again a week later in the next cold snap.
So far, during the past years they have been docile. I've even bumped the branches that one nest was on 2x with the ROPS of the tractor and noticed the nest on the 3rd pass. I didn't want to take a chance the 3rd time. I've never got nailed by one, and don't want to start.
In 2006, they built a nest right near the ground by the pond in some tall grass. I durn 'near stepped on it. I noticed a Hornet flying towards me, then doing a detour around me a few times. I turned around to see where it was going and it dropped down towards the ground not 3' behind me. I didn't waste any time getting out of there.
CJ:
Yeah, I need to knock it down. Hopefully the queen will relocate to a more out of the way area. It's within 10' of the back door of the house. I don't want to kill them, just get them to relocate.
