Wasps and hornets
Bald-faced hornet nest in a tree: leave it or have it removed?
Leaves down, and there's a big gray paper ball hanging in the tree? That's probably a bald-faced hornet nest. Here's how to tell if it's still busy, when you can leave it, and when it has to go.
By Nick Russler, ownerLicensed and insured in MichiganPublished
Summary
The short answer
That big gray paper ball in your bare tree is most likely a bald-faced hornet nest. If it's high up and away from doors, paths and the lawn you mow, you can usually leave it alone. After a couple of hard frosts, the hornets should no longer be a problem, and they don't reuse the old nest, though a good spot may get picked again. If it's within about 10 feet of your door, low in a shrub by the lawn you mow, or near the house of someone with a known sting allergy, have it handled now. To see if it's still live, watch the opening near the bottom on a sunny day, from a good distance.
Up high, leave it for the frost. By a door, have it handled. Call us at (734) 519-6671 and tell us where it is.
Prefer to listen? 53 seconds.
The short version, read aloud. Read by a synthetic voice, not one of our technicians.
That bald-faced hornet nest in your tree didn't show up overnight. MSU says nest building goes on all summer. And a University of Illinois educator says leaf drop is when these nests come into view in the treetops.
Is that gray ball in your tree a bald-faced hornet nest?
Probably, if it's gray paper and closed all the way around. NC State says bald-faced hornets build the big gray nests you see in trees, and the way in is usually near the bottom. You'll also hear the bald-faced hornet called the white-faced hornet, so some folks call this a white-faced wasp nest.
If you see a clump of leaves wedged in a fork, it's more likely a leaf nest. Gray squirrels build those out of leaves and twigs, ADW says. More on the tree squirrels around here.
Look-alikes
Hornet nest or leaf nest?
Bald-faced hornet nestDolichovespula maculata
Leaf nestbuilt by gray squirrels
| Look at | Bald-faced hornet nest | Leaf nest |
|---|---|---|
| Made of | Gray paper, wrapped in layers around stacked combs | Leaves and twigs |
| Where it sits | Usually hangs in a tree | In the crotch of a tree |
| How high | At least 3 feet up, often higher in the treetops | 30 to 45 feet up, for gray squirrels |
Not sure it's hornets at all? Here's how to tell a hornet nest from paper wasp and yellow jacket nests.
Where is the nest, and are hornets still flying?
Those two answers settle most cases, including whether you can leave a hornet's nest in a tree.
Which one is it?
Leave it, watch it or call?
Up to three questions. Start with where the nest is.
See every answer
- A busy nest, up high Leave it for the hard frosts
- Penn State says a nest can be ignored unless it's within 10 feet of a door, under a low eave or in shrubs next to a mowed lawn. MSU says an aerial nest you find in fall in a low-traffic spot can wait until after the first freeze. Keep kids and dogs back, and don't throw anything at it.
- A sting allergy at home Have us take a look
- Penn State says people with a known sting allergy should have nests close to their home handled by a pest control company. Call us, and we'll look at how close this hornet nest really is. Wasp and hornet control
- Not sure yet Do the sunny-day check first
- NC State says the best way to tell is to watch the opening at the bottom from a good distance. On a sunny day, a live nest has some workers flying in and out. If none use it in the middle of a sunny day, Illinois says it may be abandoned. Then pick again.
- An empty nest, up high Let it fall apart
- MSU says wasps leave the nest in the fall and don't reuse it, though a good spot may get picked again year after year. Illinois says birds tear these nests apart over the winter. There's nothing you need to do.
- A new nest, up high Keep an eye on it
- MSU says nest building starts in late spring and goes on all summer, so this one will likely keep growing. Penn State says a nest away from doors, low eaves and shrubs by a mowed lawn can be ignored. If that changes, call us. Tell us where the nest is
- A busy nest, down low Have it treated now
- Penn State's okay-to-ignore rule doesn't cover a nest in shrubs next to a lawn you mow, and a Michigan DNR wildlife official says nests where normal human traffic will set the hornets off sooner or later need to be removed. He worried his mower might get a nearby nest's attention, so he planned to let that trail grow for the rest of the year. Skip mowing near it until it's treated. Wasp and hornet control
- A busy nest by a door Have it treated now
- Penn State's okay-to-ignore rule doesn't cover a nest within 10 feet of a door, or under a low eave. Illinois calls a nest by the front door a spot where a run-in is bound to happen. Use another door until it's treated. Tell us where the nest is
- An empty nest, close by Probably empty. Your call
- MSU says after a couple of hard frosts the wasps should no longer be a problem, and they don't reuse the nest, though a new one may go up in the same good spot. Want it gone? Do the sunny-day check first, then call us and we'll look at taking it down. Wasp and hornet control
- A new nest, close by Call while it's new
- MSU says nest building goes on all summer, so a nest this close will likely keep growing right where you walk. On Honorable Shield, a new nest between visits gets treated free within 48 hours. Check your written plan terms. Wasp and hornet control
Is the nest still active now that the leaves are down?
It might be. Penn State says most of the colony dies before or shortly after the first hard frost. And a Michigan DNR wildlife official says a nest brought inside on a frosty morning can still hold live hornets.
To check, NC State says to watch the opening at the bottom from a good distance. On a sunny day, a live nest has some workers flying in and out. If you don't see any in the middle of a sunny day, Illinois says the nest may be abandoned.
"Had bald faced hornets in a tree. They came out after hours, had the tools and know how to get the job done right. The tech was great to work with. Hopefully I'll never need them again but if I do I will definitely call Honorable pest control"
When can you leave a hornet nest in a tree alone?
When it's high up and out of your way. Penn State says a nest can be ignored unless it's within 10 feet of a door, under a low eave, or in shrubs by a lawn you mow. MSU says a nest up off the ground in a low-traffic spot, found in fall, can wait until after the first freeze.
As one Illinois educator puts it, "Leave their nest alone and they leave us alone." So keep kids and dogs back, and don't throw anything at it.
When does a bald-faced hornet nest need to go now?
When Penn State's okay-to-ignore rule doesn't cover it: by a door, under a low eave, or low by the lawn you mow. Does someone in your house have a known sting allergy? Then Penn State says to have a pest control company handle nests close to home. And Illinois calls a nest by the front door, or in the doghouse, a spot where a run-in is bound to happen.
I had a family with a hornet nest over their front door, so they spent most of September going in and out through the garage. The day after I took it down, their youngest walked out the front door just to prove they could.
- Don't knock down or spray a live nest yourself. NC State says many workers can swarm out and sting again and again when it's disturbed. In a 2016 study, hornets struck two boxes by their nest 27 times as often when one carried an extract of their own venom sacs as when neither did.
- Big covered nests like this are best left to the pros, MSU says.
Bald-faced hornet nest by the door, or by the lawn you mow? Call us at (734) 519-6671 and we'll come take a look. Here's how we handle wasp and hornet nests.
What happens to the nest after the first hard frost?
Most of the workers die off, and the old nest ends up empty. MSU says Michigan wasps leave their nests in the fall. After the new queens leave, the workers eventually die from hunger and cold. NC State says only the new queens make it through winter, to start new nests in spring. So are there bald-faced hornets in winter? Not in that nest. Old nests are never reused, though MSU says a good spot may get picked again.
MSU says after a couple of hard frosts, the wasps should no longer be a problem. The weather service's hard freeze is 28 F or colder for a stretch. In ten falls of NOAA records for Ann Arbor, the second night at 28 F or colder came by Oct 31 in 6 of them. As of Oct 20, there's been one this fall: 27 F on Oct 18.
We also counted ten years of iNaturalist hornet sightings in the four counties we serve plus Monroe, Jackson and Lenawee next door.
When bald-faced hornets get spotted around here
Research-grade iNaturalist records of bald-faced hornets in Washtenaw, Wayne, Oakland, Livingston, Monroe, Jackson and Lenawee counties, 2016 to 2025, by half month from August through November, plus all of December (401 of the 531 records). Counted by Honorable on October 21, 2026. Sightings follow where and when people look, and a late record can be an empty nest, not a live colony. The marked row holds the middle date of the second night at 28 F or colder at one NOAA station, Ann Arbor U of Mich, over the same ten falls. A daily low shows the air reached 28 F, not how long it stayed there. Detroit Metro Airport got there about two weeks later on average, but the gap changed a lot from year to year.
Sightings fall off fast after mid-September. Only 25 of the 401 came after Ann Arbor's second night at 28 F or colder that year. But they follow when people are out looking, so you still need the sunny-day check.
What we do when a hornet nest has to come down
We figure out which wasp it is, treat the nest to the label, and take it down once nothing is flying and we can reach it. Sometimes a dead nest is better left where it is. That's our wasp and hornet control.
On a plan? Wasps, bald-faced hornets included, are covered by Honorable Shield. A new nest between visits gets treated free within 48 hours. Check your written plan terms.
Found one by your front door or the lawn you mow? Call us at (734) 519-6671 or tell us where the nest is.
Hornet nest by a door or the lawn?
We look at where it is and whether it's still live, treat it to the label if it has to go, and take it down once nothing's flying and we can reach it. Wasps are covered by Honorable Shield (check your written plan terms). Quotes are free.
Rather not call? Get your free quote right here.
What are we dealing with?
Tap everything you have seen. Most homes have more than one.
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Common questions
Can you leave a bald-faced hornet nest in a tree?
Usually, if it's high up and away from doors, low eaves and the lawn you mow. Penn State says a nest like that can be ignored, and a Michigan DNR wildlife official favors leaving them alone where trouble is unlikely. If someone at home has a known sting allergy, Penn State says nests close to the house should go to a pest control company.
Are bald-faced hornets still in the nest in winter?
Not by winter. NC State says frost finally kills the males and workers, and only the new queens survive the winter. They leave the old nest and start new ones in spring. MSU says the old nest isn't reused, though the same good spot may get picked again.
Is a white-faced hornet the same as a bald-faced hornet?
Yes, it's two names for the same wasp. Napa County's mosquito district titles its page "Bald or White-faced Hornet." And it isn't a true hornet at all. The Michigan DNR says it's the biggest member of the yellow jacket family. Our yellow jacket, paper wasp and bald-faced hornet guide shows how to tell them apart.
Does last year's hornet nest need to be removed?
No. MSU says wasps leave the nest in the fall and don't reuse it the next year, though they may build in the same good spot again. Illinois says birds pull these nests apart over the winter. If an old one bugs you, do NC State's sunny-day check first, then call us at (734) 519-6671 and we'll look at taking it down.
About this page
Nick wrote this. The facts come from the sources below, checked on October 21, 2026. Our sighting and cold-night numbers come from our own count of iNaturalist and NOAA records. They show when people spot hornets and when it gets cold at two stations, not whether a nest is empty. Photos: Skyler Principe, Mark Apgar and Elliot Greiner (CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist). See something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Sources
- Michigan State University Extension, Getting rid of wasp nests (Ana Heck and Nate Walton, 2023)
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, A Lesson in Respect: Bald-faced Hornets (Doug Reeves, 2013)
- NC State Extension, Baldfaced Hornets in Landscapes (James Baker, reviewed 2026)
- Penn State Extension, Baldfaced Hornet (Steve Jacobs, updated 2026)
- University of Illinois Extension, Baldfaced Hornet: Dangerous bug or beneficial insect? (Christopher Enroth, 2022)
- National Weather Service (NOAA), Glossary: Hard Freeze
- Our own count, pulled October 21, 2026: NOAA daily lows (Ann Arbor U of Mich USC00200230 and Detroit Metro Airport USW00094847, 2016 to 2026, via ACIS; 2016 to 2025 checked against GHCN-Daily) and research-grade iNaturalist bald-faced hornet records for seven Southeast Michigan counties, 2016 to 2025 (iNaturalist linked with the chart)
- Napa County Mosquito Abatement District, Bald or White-faced Hornet (Dolichovespula maculata)
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Sciurus carolinensis, eastern gray squirrel (Lawniczak, 2002)
- Jimenez and others, Evidence for a Nest Defense Pheromone in Bald-Faced Hornets, Dolichovespula maculata, and Identification of Components, Journal of Chemical Ecology (2016)
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