Hornets nest ( I think)
 

My sail boat has a Sitka Spruce wood mast.
It is on top of boat lying dwn of course , pretty typical
There is a larger and larger hornets or wasp nest growing on the very end of the mast.
I really dont care as I try to be considerate of all earths critters ...
Do they eat the wood they have their nest attached to?
If so I can not afford to be so generous to them.
Other then that winter will take care of them.

It would be best to get one for identification.
At sunrise is probably the best time.
These guys https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_bee look like bumblebees and will do damage.

But some wasps are beneficial: Stingless Wasps Recruited in Fight Against Emerald Ash Borer - ICTMN.com

No pics? :(

Hornets and wasps will chew wood to make the paper for their nests, however they usually go after other plant matter, or softer wood, decaying wood, etc.

Bald hornets are some mean bastages. Fire works best.

If they are not going to damage my mast, they may stay and run their course albeit i do not understand them.
In a few weeks it will be COLD here , no way will they survive up there.
I will try to get a pic tomorrow,,,however its just another gray looking thing to me...LOL

I am thinking there are the bald face or white face variety.
I know they are not Yellow Jackets or honey bees.
I have had to move honey bee hives B4.

I'm a live and let live kinda guy except when it comes to the wasps and fire ants around here.

Highly aggressive and will **** your **** up just because they can.

I exterminate with extreme prejudice the second I see a nest or mound starting to form.

Big round gray nest is hornets. They are very aggressive. Much worse than wasps or honey bees. Wait until it is cold and destroy the nest. They typically return to the same place every year...so it is best to watch for them each year and knock them out early before the nest gets huge (hard to spray because they are so deep in the nest). They are actually beneficial as they kill other bugs, but they are not easy to live with...so you need to get rid of them. I get a nest on my house the size of a basketball every year. I killed them all and destroyed their nest last year (1st floor eaves). This year they are under the 3rd floor eaves where I really can't get to them...but I also feel safe from anyone getting into them and being stung.

The only advice I can give is DO NOT SHOOT AT THEM. As a 12 year old boy it seemed like quite a good idea :eek:

So far we are all friends, I walk past and under the nest every day.
The nest did not start to grow until last couple weeks.It was a small thing all summer.
I know most people would destroy them. I need a reason.
Like i said, winter here will kill them off anyway.We get 20F below zero and more !
It seems suicide they even did this anyway.
One would think they would want shelter of some sort.

The main reason to take them out besides the general mean factor is that the attach point from the next to your mast is made from one of the toughest materials that exists. That little stump could survive a nuclear blast, good luck removing it!

I need to refinish the mast anyway...So if you guys do not think there is any real damage going on up there...I will leave them be.
I figure they have a purpose on the planet, not like people, the earth would not ever miss us.
Now if they decide to play fighter pilots I will turn them into kamikaze carnage.
So far with a loud M/C driving underneath them and all the other stuff I do here...we have piece .

They probably won't do harm to the mast. If a person seriously disturbs them they can inflict 50 stings in 5 seconds so there is a risk if you need to move about their nest. Some are allergic to the sting and getting hit by a bunch of them can be fatal. We used to get a bunch of wasp and hornet nests at my last house and I typically got hit every year by one or the other.

Ok
I have been reading..They die off in winter. Only the Queen survives to lay eggs the next year.
She goes and hibernates somewhere and leaves the tribe to go it alone.
I was watching them from about 15 feet away (they are at least 12 feet up too)They have a bee line all going and coming back from same direction.
There is a apple tree 20 feet from the nest, they are not interested at the moment.

Shouldn't your Thunderbird be in the water? Sailing season ain't over yet!

There's a reason they spell idealistic different than realistic.

Jim,
You must have a avid interest? (to remeber my boat )
It should be in the water LOL.
I left it out this summer, it needs some luv again-
Everything has its wants....

A short blast or two with a flame thrower should do it. :)

Ok. Well hopefully whoever owns the apple tree will get tired of destroyed apples and trap them. Do the world a solid and kill them.

If you've ever been attacked by hornets, me thinks you would quickly change your mind. Taking out a nest is going to make zero dent in the hornet ecological foray. That was a miserable day in the life of me, my wife, and my poor dog who now need psychological counseling because when he sees one he goes into a panic attack!!!