Their preferred house is an abandoned mouse nest. They like to be underground and they like to be protected. I've found many under concrete forms and one times I found one in a pile of old pine boughs.
If you want to open it, I'd run. They are pretty defensive, although I've never been stung by one, I have been assured by those who have that they will.
I killed a lot of them when I was moving concrete forms that had nests under them. I used a weed sprayer with diesel fuel in it that we used to soak the forms before pouring. I don't know if they would have left on their own after flipping over the forms, but I didn't have time to find out. :)
My guess is, if you don't want to harm them, you should open things up and run. After they calm down, mist them with water to give them the idea that they are not well protected. maybe they will get the idea. :)