It is quite rare to have (or at least see) a hornet nest at Chantilly National. Over the last few weeks 3 separate nests have been discovered and 2 were in the same tree! Two baldfaced hornet colonies made their homes in the red maple left of #14 tee just a few feet away from the bench and the third on #12 in one of the dawn redwoods between the cart path and pond.
Baldfaced hornets are actually considered beneficial as they prey on several undesirable species of flies and yellow jackets and help pollinate flowers as they search for nectar. Unfortunately, they also tend to be very aggressive and territorial and, if disturbed or even feel threatened, will sting repeatedly.
Generally, we like to leave the wildlife alone and let them do their thing with as little interference from us as possible. But, in this case, with their location and the potential risk for Members and staff alike, they were just too close for comfort and have been "neutralized".
Baldfaced hornets are actually considered beneficial as they prey on several undesirable species of flies and yellow jackets and help pollinate flowers as they search for nectar. Unfortunately, they also tend to be very aggressive and territorial and, if disturbed or even feel threatened, will sting repeatedly.
Generally, we like to leave the wildlife alone and let them do their thing with as little interference from us as possible. But, in this case, with their location and the potential risk for Members and staff alike, they were just too close for comfort and have been "neutralized".
