We really enjoy doing these hypothetical pest battles and we have an interesting matchup for you today. Typically, we will matchup two species that live mostly off the ground or two species that mostly live on it. Today, we bring you a true land vs air battle that you would rarely see in the wild. We face off two of the most pesky pests in the game; the Hornet and the Tick!

Three Hornet Facts

  • A hornet is actually a predatory wasp. They are labeled as pests because they destroy honeybee populations and crops. They are very affluent hunters!
  • The largest species of hornet is the Asian Giant Hornet which can reach up to 2 inches in length! Most species are about half that size and carry two sets of wings to help them navigate and fly more effortlessly.
  • Their weakness is that they are fairly easy to manipulate. Japanese Honeybees have developed a tactic for hunting them that works far too well. They lure the scout hornets into their hives and surround them causing the hornet to quickly suffocate. It’s relatively easy for the bees.

Three Tick Facts

  • A tick is an arachnid which makes them more closely related to spiders than insects.
  • There are over 850 tick species in the world and they are capable of spreading diseases like Lyme Disease, Ehrichia, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
  • They feed on the blood of their hosts and they slowly infiltrate so they are more difficult to spot.
  • Their weakness here would be that they tend to prey on mammals and not other insects. We’re not sure if they could even get onto a Hornets fur.

The Ultimate Prediction
For the reason we just mentioned, we think we would have to give the nod to the HORNET in this one. Here are the three key factors that really influenced our decision»

  • A hornet can fly and it could attack a tick from above before the tick even knew it. There have also been accounts of hornets eating ticks, but never the other way around.
  • The power of a tick is that it is hard to spot and it is relatively sneaky. In a one-on-one battle, it would be difficult to spot– especially if the hornet has a birdseye view.
  • The hornet might get sick and die if the tick is carrying a disease, so in the end this might not be a good match up for either species. Maybe it would be a lose lose for both parties.

If there is a pest battle that you would like to see, please share it with us on Facebook so we can bring it to you next month. Our next pest battle might be our best one yet.

To remove these pests from your property, call Pest Control Unlimited at 888-649-9919 or click around on our website!