Whether or not you should destroy a hornet nest depends on a variety of factors, including the location of the nest, the size of the nest, and the potential risks to people and pets. Here are a few things to consider when deciding whether to destroy a hornet nest: Location of the nest: If the hornet nest is located in a high-traffic area, such as a tree near a sidewalk or a hedge near a playground, it may pose a risk to people and pets passing by. In this case, it may be necessary to remove the nest to prevent stinging incidents. Size of the nest: The larger the hornet nest, the more aggressive and territorial the hornets may become. If the nest is small and relatively inactive, it may be safer to leave it alone. However, if the nest is large and active, it may be necessary to remove it to prevent stinging incidents. Potential risks: Consider the potential risks to people and pets when deciding whether to remove a hornet nest. If there is a risk of stinging incidents, or if the hornets are causing damage to property, it may be necessary to remove the nest to protect public safety and property.

Digger, that's so sweet that you let them continue to build their nests in your garage. I so enjoy watching baby birds grow up. (Speaking of which, have you guys been watching the Decorah eagles?? WOW!) I have a pair of beautiful little birds, maybe a species of sparrow, that have built a nest under my porch, over a window. They're gorgeous - dark navy feathers on their heads and back and an orangish yellow breast. They're making a horrible mess with all the bird poop, but watching them is worth a cleanup day when they're done. GG, I'm with you. Every year, in late winter, my mom and I have a little competition - who sees the first robin, which is our indicator that spring is here. I won this year! Denise in Omaha

I had an interesting situation at our house. Bought a flower planter and left it on our front porch about chest high off the porch. I saw a bird's nest appear a couple weeks later but never saw a bird so I tossed the nest into the bushes to mulch. Then I saw the flowers were trampled and looked to see why and found 3 Robin's eggs in the flower bed. I used utensils to retrieve the nest from the bushes and carefully laid the 3 eggs into the nest. All the while the mama Robin was squawking at me. I checked and saw the bird returned to the nest and was doing some tidying up. Then low and behold she reclaimed the nest. Later that same day I saw 4 eggs as she apparently had one in reserve. She is nesting nicely now and we can't wait to see her little hatchlings come to life. I did handle the nest by hand at first when I tossed it but who knows if the bird cared. It makes sense that birds don't have a sense of smell.

The story doesn't end there, I'm afraid. As I said, I plugged the hole in the nest box where the TUTIs nested. While I was distracted with them, a pair of bluebirds who have been hanging around here started a nest in my second video box which is in my back yard. I hadn't been paying enough attention because I had intended to put that one out of commission also. By the time I turned my attention to that box, the nest was almost done. Mama has been working on the nest and at the same time working with Daddy to feed the 3 (maybe 4) fledglings from their first brood which grew up somewhere else (I'd seen the parents come to my feeder and carry mealies off beyond my yard a few houses/never did find where the nest was; I'm guessing they got evicted by our little brown bird 'friend'). So for the last few days I have been so happy to see the whole family in my backyard, all 5 or 6 of them. They go back and forth from the mealie feeder to the top of the nest box which is not far away. Anyway, I WILL be monitoring the box as carefully as I can. My husband rigged up a cord that goes from the nest box to inside my kitchen. If I see a HOWR on the box or in the box, I pull on the cord and can shake the nestbox! Hope I never have to use it. The box is also easier to get to than the one in the front (no steps, yeah!). I have evidence that having the whole BB family around will offer them a lot of protection. As I watched (and recorded), a HOWR went into the nest box & started to pick at the nesting material with the intention, I'm sure, of throwing it out the hole. However, 'The Family' showed up and blocked the HOWR IN the box. I swear that HOWR must sit somewhere and watch the BBs cause it had the guts to go into the nest while Mama is actively in and out of the nestbox while working on the nest. Actually prior to getting trapped in the box that time, the HOWR had gone into the box & started picking at the pine needles but I chased it out quickly. So if you go to my dropshots page (guest password birdbrain), there's a new video 'HOWR gets trapped in box by bluebirds'. If you listen carefully to the video, you can hear the bluebirds 'chatting' while the HOWR quivers at the bottom of the nest. Not sure what the quivering is all about but I know that some animals (like cats, for instance) 'quiver' in anticipation of pouncing/striking. You can see that it tries to get out the hole twice to no avail (it seems to 'throw' itself at the hole). I was afraid that one of the parents was going to go into the box and get hurt. Yes, maybe there would have been a battle and the bluebirds MIGHT have won but I didn't want to take the chance so I opened the back door (this was before I had my 'shaker cord'). My two male dogs got out in front of me and not only chased away the bluebirds but also the wren. Amazing video, though! The nest is done now and when the first egg is laid, up goes the wren guard, and I go into active monitoring. Blessings, Lina... Here is a link that might be useful: Video HOWR gets trapped in box by BBs