Make trouble, cause a commotion, as in Asking for an audit of the treasurer's books stirred up a hornets' nest in the association. This metaphoric term, likening hornets to angry humans, dates from the first half of the 1700s.
What does it mean to kick the hornet's nest?
1 : a troublesome or hazardous situation. 2 : an angry reaction must have known that his frank comments …
What is the meaning of wasp nest?
a nest in which spiders or insects deposit their eggs.
Is it hornets nest or hornet's nest?
They do not die upon stinging a prey. Hornets build nests from chewed tree bark. The idiom stir up a hornets' nest or stir up a hornet's nest came into use in the mid-1700s. Both spellings are correct, but the Oxford English Dictionary uses the stir up a hornets' nest spelling.
What does the phrase hornet's nest mean?
Definition of hornet's nest 1 : a troublesome or hazardous situation. 2 : an angry reaction must have known that his frank comments … would stir up a hornet's nest — U.S. Investor.
What is the home of a hornet called?
Hornets construct their homes from saliva and wood pulp they chew and fashion into a nest. The insects build these paper-like structures in areas that have plenty of shade and protection from the elements. A typical hornet nest consists of hexagonal combs, an outer covering, and a single entrance.
Is it a hornet nest or hive?
Hornets construct their nests, or hives, by chewing wood into a paper-like pulp, which is mixed with their saliva. Typically, hornet nests have a teardrop shape and are about the size of a basketball when complete.
Is it a wasp or hornet nest?
Wasp nests also look significantly different to bees nests. This is because wasps build nests using wood fibres, giving them a greyish, paper-like appearance. As hornets are a type of wasp, they use the same technique as common wasps when building nests.14 Jan 2021
How dangerous is a hornets nest?
Unlike highly aggressive yellowjackets that nest in the ground, hornets that build their nests high up on homes or in trees are no danger to people.29 Jun 2017
What should I do if I hit a hornets nest?
- STEP 1: Identify the hornets' nest.
- STEP 2: Spray the nest with insecticide.
- STEP 3: Wait a few hours and spray again if any hornets remain.
- STEP 4: Remove and dispose of the nest.
Should I take down a hornets nest?
The best time to remove the hornet's nest is at night because that's when they're less active. Almost all of the hornets are going to be in the nest for the night, making it more likely the homeowner can kill all of them at once and prevent another nest from appearing.26 Jul 2018