Yayyy, I'm in the club

I apologize for the poor quality of these photos,
but I was as close to this nest as I cared to get.

I was mowing the lawn at my mom's house when I noticed an insect on the lilac bush I planted about five years ago. It looked like a hornet, but it was black.

Black.

Oh, crap.

You know, if it weren't for Michelle I wouldn't know anything about these insects. And if it weren't for Mark I wouldn't appreciate just how dangerous these insects can be - assuming that they're the dreaded Bald-Faced Hornets. (Scroll down about 3/4 of the way on Mark's post to the part that begins with the words "It's not every day that" in pink.) I didn't scrutinize the insect closely enough to see if it had a white face, though the fact that I wasn't attacked when I mowed under their nest suggests that they may be a more relaxed sort of insect.

Whatever. Tonight, after sundown, they die.

• Hat - check
• Balaclava - check
• Goggles - check
• Long sweatpants and sweatshirt - check
• Boots - check
• Leather gloves - check
• Position of cover and easy retreat - check
• Can of spray Wasp & Hornet killer with 22 foot range - check
• Lack of sufficient sense to leave this to a professional - check

I wonder if I should also deal with these guys, who are living just above my position of cover:


We'll see. Whatever. If I die, tell Keira Knightley I love her.


Update, 9:00 PM: I didn't die. I don't know if they did, either - the balaclava made my goggles fog up, and it was all I could do to be sure I was hitting the damned nest. I soaked it - I don't know if that does any good - and I made sure I doused the entrance. As it was after sunset, around 8:45, it was a little hard to be sure but I thought I saw a hornet come out of the opening and freeze there. The poison I used is an insect neurotoxin, I think, so hopefully I applied enough to poison the nest. I think I only used 3/4 of the can - I saved the rest to cover my retreat, just in case.