Bald-faced Hornet

Description:

These black and white hornet gets its name from the white face. Related to the Yellowjackets but our more aggresive. It lacks also the yellow color and has 3 white stripes across the lower end of it's abdomen. Very defensive of it's nest which is is made of paper, because the workers chews on wood and mixed with their saliva it creates these large nests that can house over 700 hornets. This one the nest was so large the weight of it, lowered the branch all the way to the ground. I estimate the nest to be over 2 feet around and over 1.5 feet high.

Habitat:

Can be found just about anywhere in North America and from mountain forests to urban areas.

Notes:

I had to use my zoom lens from a distance because when I got to close to one I spotted in Utah, I was stung.