Sort of a find the critter post, first picture anyway...
When mowing the lawn the other evening I noticed something familiar in the grass beneath this red maple. Knowing full well what it was, I looked up and was shocked to see what I saw!
Approximately 15' up from the ground was this enormous Bald-Faced hornets nest!
I honestly don't recall ever seeing one so BIG! This dude is BIGGER than a basketball. As you can see in the picture below, the bottom of the nest is missing a piece. This is the familiar item that was lying on the ground beneath the tree. Very distinct and telling that such a nest was nearby but that close was a bit troubling.
I believe, for the most part anyway, that leaving things like critters alone and they'll leave you alone. Of course it doesn't always work this way, especially with bees. However, it has been working fine in this case. Clearly this nest has been there for a while; all summer long, and in that time and to date, I've mowed my lawn 23 times this season so far. The mowing includes cutting beneath this tree and due to the obstacles around it, there's some jockeying that takes place to get the area cut. In all those times, as well as weeding and tree limb pruning (yes, from this tree too), I never noticed this nest, nor had any issues from the residents.
All that being said, Bald-Face Hornets are known to be hostile and territorial. They are sensitive to noise and vibrations and will treat them as threats, retaliating aggressively - SO my ride mower perhaps?!?!
The known diet of the Bald-Faced Hornet includes other insects, spiders and plants. They are omnivorous insects that hunt other bees and eat meats, fruits, and flower nectar. Their favorite snacks are horse flies. So, they're very beneficial to have nearby.
Seems they've not been threatened by me, yet, so seems I've been lucky!
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