The guy taking care of the yard, while I’m out of action, found a large nest of ground hornets.
The exterminator that came to treat the house, pumped a fog of insecticide down the hole and wiped them out.
This morning, we discovered that something had opened up an 18” diameter hole and pulled out the nest or comb (no honey) and scattered the pieces around the outside of the hole.
I have no idea what dug up the nest and I’ve eliminated a couple of infestations in the past myself without anything digging the nest up.
What kind of varmint likes to snack on dead hornets?

Skunk

I’ll go with skunk too.

Oh please, don’t let it be that because sooner or later our 10 month old rambunctious lab puppy will jump on it when she goes out to do her business at night. If she does, she is not coming back into the house. Time to get us a long check cord.

Could have been your puppy. Mine will dig a hole trying to get voles. To no success.

In south Texas, it could also be an armadillo. They mostly eat bugs and are very good diggers.

I live near a state park, lots of woods nearby, and plenty of skunks,

in 17 yrs here, I have found several yellow jacket nest, just a few dead jackets around, and a big hole with a few scraps of paper nest left,


I think skunks are just awesome for that alone

Possum's too!

Raccoons will dig up a nest. They love the larvae. Even after a nest is treated the larvae are still alive as they are protected in the cells.

'dillo.

Dillo

A question here. If the hornets were poisoned is the poison transferred to the animal that consumes the hornets???

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
A question here. If the hornets were poisoned is the poison transferred to the animal that consumes the hornets???

Not enough to worry about it.

In the past, when I did my own annihilating, I waited until dark and dumped about a cup of Seven dust on the entrance and covered it with a pail with a weight on it. There were no survivors and nothing came around later to dig up the nest.
We’re glad they’re gone, but we could do without that 2 ft. deep hole in the yard.

Always amazes me how big a hole they have underground. Do they excavate it one grain at a time?

quote:

Not enough to worry about it

^^^^^^^^^^
I would be worried if my dog was consuming them. Was an honest question.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

quote:

Not enough to worry about it

^^^^^^^^^^
I would be worried if my dog was consuming them. Was an honest question.

Was an honest answer. I have owned a pest control business since 1997. The amount of pesticide used to control a ground nest would be an acute exposure that would pose almost no threat to a mammal. Mild symptoms that would pass.

quote:

Originally posted by Sigfest:
Always amazes me how big a hole they have underground. Do they excavate it one grain at a time?

Usually starts as an abandoned rodent burrow and yes they will excavate as the nest needs room to expand.

Armadillo. They tear up my yard every winter digging up yellow jacket and various other ground dwellers' nests. They are apparently after the larvae.

quote:

Was an honest answer. I have owned a pest control business since 1997. The amount of pesticide used to control a ground nest would be an acute exposure that would pose almost no threat to a mammal. Mild symptoms that would pass.

^^^^^^^^^^
Thank you.