Topic: ?Hornet

[Palustris]

This was flying around our compost heap today. It is about 3.5cms long, say about twice to three times the size of the wasps near it. I wondered if it was a hornet, but according to the books they are more often found in the South than up here.

[Emagggie]

Yep, most definately a hornet.

[Georgie]

Oh, so that's what landed on one of my sweet rocket plants as I was potting them on yesterday.  And to think I was talking to it nicely and telling it what a lovely thing it was.  I'm allergic to the blighters!   :o

G x

[Palustris]

Well, sad to say, in that case it is going to meet its maker, if I can find a way of so doing.

[Georgie]

Heck, I never saw the one that stung me but they vicious things and I had to have horrible treatment afterwards.  The best organic way to deal is a rolled up newspaper innit? ;)

G x

[Paulines7]

I cannot see the pictures Eric, there are just two red crosses there.    :'(  I wanted to compare with the one that I took at Wilton House Grdens that turned out to be a hover fly.   ;D

[Palustris]

I don't know Pauline. The pictures seem to disappear at random. Have PM'd you a copy.

[Robert_Brenchley]

There are some good pics of different wasp species here: http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/eakringbirds2/insectswasps.htm

[triffid]

Robert; just wanted to thank you for the link to the hornet site: fascinating, and what amazing pictures!

I've always felt wary of hornets; now I'll go out of my way to live and let live.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'm told they don't live up to their reputation at all, and are actually quite unaggressive. But they're also uncommon, and unfortunately I haven't come across them.

[redimp]

I let them look after the caterpillars ever since watching in fascination as a single wasp cleared a nasturtian teaming with Large White caterpillars a few years ago.  Always happy to see them round my brassicas.  Haven't killed one for years even though I am often stung.  Can see it from the point of view of someone who is allergic though but not from the people who flap around in a panic.

[triffid]

We do get them here, but I've always been wary of them -- not so much for getting stung; more for them being near our bees as I'd been told they hunted bees as a matter of course (which I see from your link isn't so, Robert!)

So from now on I'll focus more on the masses of baddies they scoop up rather than the few of my honeybunch...  :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

There are hornets in other parts of the world which hunt bees routinely, and will exterminate a colony in no time. Any of our UK social wasps will raid hives and kill bees, but they're only a danget to weak hives. I had problems my first year of beekeeping, with wasps dropping on bees, biting them in half, and flying off with the abdomen while the front half was still walking about wondering what had happened. Other times, they bit off the wings and legs, and flew off with the whole carcass, which was bigger than they were.

I soon realised that, firstly, they were only taking crawling bees which could no longer fly, and that they were only a real danger when they get inside the hive, which they were all the time. Secondly, the traditional wide-open entrance was far bigger than the bees actually need. So I cobbled up my own combined floors and entrances, with a mesh floor to stop condensation and make it easier to monitor mite populations, and a small entrance to make it easy for them to keep the wasps at bay, which is fitted with a permanent mouse guard, so I don't have to worry about that problem. If i have a rfeally small colony which is under threat, I tack a piece of cardboard across the entrance, leaving a hole about 1/4 inch wide, which only one bee or wasp can get through at a time. As the colony gains strength, the bees chew the cardboard back to enlarge the entrance. I've had no problems with wasps since, and my only rodent problem was a rat which got inside an empty hive without one of my special floors in place.

[silly billy]

I read this post on Thursday night and went to the site posted by Robert and found it most interesting as i have never seen a hornet before.
Last night (Friday) me and other half were sat watching tv with the french doors open and in flew a huge insect that i thought at 1st sight was a stag beetle or something similair.Being brave i got up and flew out the room :o :o
When we ventured back in we took a closer look and it ws a hornet!! As said before it was like a massive wasp i even brought up this page whilst it sat on our lounge wall and showed the o/h the pictures.
I think it was getting angry as it kept flying onto our lamps and burning itself on the bulbs, a may bug did the same earlier this year and died instantly in a puff of smoke :o.I did the usual trick with a glass and piece of paper and took it out to the garden.
Ive never seen one before and i wouldnt want to get stung by one it was huge.

[Palustris]

Glad the picture was of some use to you then Billy. We have not seen the said insect again, so perhpas it has gone to better hunting grounds in our nearby woods!

[silly billy]

Came home today to find another hornet in my hall, luckily both my dogs who sleep in the hall were fine.I had to get a glass and take it out into the garden.We are going to have to be more careful now as thats the 2nd one in a week!!