Bald-faced Hornet

• A black body with a white face and white markings on the tip of the abdomen.
• The nest is a large, gray, papery football-shaped mass in a tree or on a structure.
• It is larger than a yellowjacket.
• It guards the nest and will attack in numbers.

Bald-faced hornets can sting repeatedly, and the sting is painful. A disturbed nest can bring a large defensive swarm. People with allergies are at risk of serious reactions.

• Look overhead when walking through brush and trees in summer.
• Do not disturb or throw things at a nest.
• If you find a nest near camp or home, leave it alone and move away or call a pest control professional.
• Do not shoot, burn, or knock down a nest yourself.

1. Move away from the area, since some stinging insects will sting again or call others.
2. If a stinger is stuck in the skin, scrape it out quickly with a flat edge such as a fingernail or card.
3. Wash the area with soap and water, and apply a cold pack or cool cloth to ease pain and swelling.
4. Take an over-the-counter antihistamine or use hydrocortisone cream as the label directs, and avoid scratching.
5. Watch for signs of an allergic reaction for the next several hours. If the person has a prescribed epinephrine auto-injector and a serious reaction, use it and call 911.

• Get emergency care right away for hives all over the body, swelling of the face or throat, trouble breathing, dizziness, or fainting, which can signal a severe allergic reaction.
• See a doctor for many stings at once, a sting inside the mouth or throat, or a sting site that looks infected.
• If you have ever had a serious reaction to a sting, talk to a doctor about carrying epinephrine.

Call 911 for trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, a racing heart, dizziness, or fainting.

• Yellowjacket: yellow and black rather than white and black, and often nests in the ground.

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