Hornet's Nest

I very much dislike yellow jackets, or hornets, (which I consider to be the same thing, though probably they aren't).  I mean, I can see a reason for bees, by which I mean honey bees or bumble bees.  And, I don't mind wasps too much, given their slow flight and lack of aggression.  But, I can't stand those pushy yellow jackets—swarming and angry.  Whenever I detect the beginnings of a hornet's nest anywhere at The Homestead or on The Farm, I get rid of it.  While they are pretty bad actors, they are no match for a full can of hornet killer with a 30 foot spray—especially when deployed from inside an armored personnel carrier.

In any case, I thought I was pretty well on top of things this summer:  Vigilant and well-armed, I'd succeeded in keeping the dangerous insects down to just a pair of black widows in the corner by the door.  (I know, black widows and insects are not the same thing either.)  My false sense of security was, however, made alarmingly clear this week when the first truly cold weather of the season removed all the leaves from the shrubs around the house.  There, approximately eight feet from the front porch, was a large hornet's nest that had obviously been constructed, and inhabited, this very summer.  While no one was harmed by this colony, I'm sure it was due more to good luck than to any lack of malicious intent on the part of the yellow jackets.  Most importantly, I am wise to them now, and they won't be able to pull that trick on me again next season.