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Aurora great-grandmother seeks out Contact7 after city told her hornet nest was her responsibility

Posted at 10:03 PM, Aug 24, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-25 00:39:21-04

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AURORA, Colo -- Contact7 is getting results for an Aurora great-grandmother who was being terrorized by hornets in her front yard. The insects built a nest in a city-owned tree by her garage, but the city told her it was her responsibility to hire an exterminator.

Eleanor Ware says she is worried she is about to be stung by one of those hornets.

"I had grandchildren and great grandchildren here this summer," she said. "Getting in and out of my car, I have to make sure I park a certain way because if I don't, I end up with bees or wasps or whatever they are, in the car."

But things really started buzzing when she saw the large nest in the tree outside her house.

"I looked up and said, 'Oh my goodness, It's really big,'" Ware said. "I couldn't ignore it anymore after I saw that and said, 'we need to do something.'"

She said she called the City of Aurora, because about two decades ago, the city planted that tree and most of the trees on her street.

"Any time I need to have the trees trimmed, I call, Aurora comes out and trims them," said Ware.

But this time, the City told that the nest was her responsibility.

"I have a granddaughter that's (sic) Down Syndrome that I take care of, and just having to add another fee to my income would not be very good," said Ware. "And I told them I'm set income, I'm soon to be 75-years-old. And I said my climbing a ladder is not going to be the best thing for anybody."

So she reached out to Contact7, and we found an exterminator willing to come out for free next week.

But we also reached out to the City of Aurora, and a spokesman responded, saying, as a city tree, they will take care of the nest, and that Ware was given incorrect information. Someone with Forestry will be at her house on Saturday. 

"They never would have done it, if it hadn't been for Contact7," said Ware. "Thank you so much!"