How to Kill Japanese Hornets

Killing Japanese hornets is not for the faint of heart. These hornets are very big. Their bodies are 2 inches long and their wing span is 3 inches long.

If they bite (sting) you, you will need to have the bite treated immediately as the bite of a Japanese hornet can eat away at skin tissue.

Before you take on the daunting task of eradicating a Japanese hornet colony, you need to be aware of some safety precautions.

Wear loose fitting long sleeves.
Wear loose fitting long pants.
Wear a protective mask to avoid ingesting the hornets if they become agitated.
Use protective eye and head wear.
Have another person there with you as back- up in case you do get stung and have an allergic reaction.

Now you are ready to kill these big guys. There are some foaming sprays available at hardware stores but they don’t allow you to stand very far away from the hive, so these may not be your best bet. Most hives will be up high somewhere such as under the eaves of your home or high up in trees.

The best tool for killing Japanese hornets is a long tube with a straw on the end of it. It is essentially a blow gun. Fill the blow gun with a botanical pesticide dust. Aim the gun straight for the opening of the hive and blow the dust into the opening. This will disturb the hornets for a moment and you will want to stand still. Some dust may fall back down so be very careful not to ingest any of it.

The hornets will now walk through the dust every time they go in and out of the hive. The dust will stick to small hairs that cover the hornet’s body. The hornets will then spread the dust throughout the hive. When the hornets groom themselves, they will ingest the dust and die.

Japanese hornets are tough and you may need to treat the hive a second time. This is not a simple job and the hornets are dangerous so call a professional if you feel you need help killing these giants.