I was just reading about that Asian species that can be 2" long with a 3" wingspan.  Oh yeah, and it has the most venomous stings plus it calls for help - lovely!  I think I'll just stay here thank you.

backwoods
shouldn't you try and smoke them at night time?

Nah, they really aren't aggressive. I got careless. You can normally walk up and stroke a red wasp on it's wings if it isn't on a nest. The nest is the only place they will attack and then only if they think you are a threat, which can be accidental. Yellow jackets are the worst of the lot. I got stung 7 times when I was a kid because I saw a bird nest in a bush, I leaned the bush over and yellow jackets had killed the baby birds. I took off running and got seven stings on my back. I surprised a big red wasp once when I opened a shed door... he flew straight out at my eye, I closed it and he stung me on the eye lid. Normally though, they are not aggressive, I stroke their wings all the time when they are on my truck or the porch, they don't seem to care. I'd never do that t oa yellow jacket though.
J

Those hornets do look intimidating. I have seen my dad get rid of wild bee hives using petrol fumes I think, but onyl from a distance (I'm allergic). My little brother used to mock me about that and staged a photo of him eating a giant jam sandwich just beside a big wild beehive.
 
We also get these nasty, dark, almost black bees that are relatively aggressive.
 
But... now there is a thing called the varraoa (sp?) virus and the bees are dying out.