OG, thanks so much for your helpful reply. If I can beat my husband to his spray can of poison I will try the Bronner soap suggestion. I usually have this around the house, but am currently out of it so will need to wait until a trip to town is warranted. If it works, much better solution in my mind, and I think I will even threaten to wash their mouths out with soap while spraying it. I'll be very curious to see how quickly it works - my son is a general contractor and runs into all sorts of bee/wasp nests while working on remodels or paint jobs.
I did also read up that hornets abandon their nest in the fall and was thinking I could just wait them out - the nest is in an easy to avoid area, which is likely how it got so big before I noticed it.
And, I suppose they do serve their purpose in the food chain, even if I am unaware of what that might be. (Same thought re slugs)
