Bald-faced Hornets make nests in trees at varying heights, and in sometimes under the eaves of houses or under decks. Some nests can reach a foot in diameter.

An early nest is about the size and shape of a ping-pong ball. In a few days, the female adds a tube extending downward (slide 2). After the first generation hatches, the original female continues to lay eggs while the first generation feeds prechewed insects to later hatchlings. They also enlarge the nest, building small chambers in the walls (slide 5). They are much more agressive than the female who originally builds the nest, attacking any person who comes too close. Adults feed on nectar and fruit. The paper made by Bald-faced hornets is very like paper made by humans by hand. It’s about the same thickness, and has the plant fibers oriented randomly. But hornet paper is laid down a bit at a time, so it ends up with streaks of different colors.

“As fall approaches, colonies produce males and new queens, which leave the nest to mate. Newly mated queens burrow into the ground, where they spend the winter. The workers, males, and the old queen perish in the fall. Nests are not reused.” Cornell University: Bald-faced Hornets Wind can blow used nests apart, scattering the ground with shreds of nest paper that slowly disintegrate.