hornets nest in the pen

[casper324]

After getting bit 3 times by those nasty bees I finally saw the softball size nest which was built near beams on the pen side of my coop. I'm worried if I spray the nest the hens will eat the sprayed bees. I thought of putting a tarp on the ground prior to spraying but am now afraid to go in there after seeing the nest to even lay the tarp down. Those bee bites hurt like heck! Suggestions?

 

[blucoondawg]

blast the nest with a garden hose and demolish it, maybe the bees will build elsewhere next time. Or else lock the birds in the coop while you spray and then clean everything up before letting them out

 

[snowflake]

to bad your hens can't reach it, they would be glad to eat the nasty things. I had hornets building in the tree in my run, and was going to have my DH go spray it for me( I was chicken) to my surprise, before he got around to it the hens had jumped up on the branch and were grabbing bees as they entered or left the nest, problem solved

 

[casper324]

I had no idea hens would eat hornnets!

 

[hdmax]

I had no idea hens would eat hornnets!

not sure how they don't get stung, but yes, they seem to love bees. When I first let my chicks out they were 3 weeks old and pretty small. There was a wood borer (Bumble bees!) nest in the area, when one would fly in to land the chicks ran for their little lives, now at 10-12 weeks and nearly full grown, they attack any they see.

 

[mandelyn]

Spray it after the birds are in bed, then clean up, then wash it all down with a garden hose. Spraying at night/evening ensures you get them all too. A day time spray will have them returning to the destroyed nest, and they'll be circling around pretty upset about it.