Allotments 4 All

 :o :o :o

OMG I never want to see one of those in MY garden!!!!  :o

that is so strange i have just found the exact same wasp in my house, they are enourmous, about the size of a huge dragon fly!!!

A queen wasp looks like an ordinary wasp except that it's a bit bigger. Andrena is a bright orange wasp the size of a common wasp, but they tend to be around earlier than this. The onewhich started the thread does sound like one of the large wood wasps, and yes, that pic does look very much like the European Hornet. They're not as ferocious as they're made out to be, at least not towards us.

I had a Hornet in my greenhouse the other day,l thought it best to wait for it to leave first  ;) we do get a few around as we live near a wood,but l can't remember seeing much red on it,but they are huge  >:(

BTW,Hornets are protected l think. Oops  ;D

Bloody hell!   :o
Never has a 50p looked so small!!  :o

:) Hi EJ, I think it is a hornet, take a look at this link http://www.vespa-crabro.de/hornets.htm it looks the best match.  ??? Had some a couple of years back when in hampshire  ::) hope this helps  :)

I don't care how harmless and unlikely they are to sting me.....I have seen a few now, and I run and duck and close my eyes tightly every time!  :o

;D Don't  blame you one bit ;)  who knows what might happen if one did sting you :o :o :o

I was gonna say hornet as heard something on the radio about it(SCR) but if they were hovering near me then sorry but splat! ;D

Protected by whom? Not me I am afraid.

The buzz tone of flies gets me, dont know what it is but goes right through me, weird. (and splat)

I had one of these in my workshop yesterday - terrifying when they dive bomb you! Definitely not a queen wasp - I get several of those each spring - I think they over winter in the roof space and come out when it warms up. I try to splat them - each one gone is one less nest in the vicinity.

It is not a woodwasp - they are very obvious, about 4 to 6 cm and with a long ovipostor.. I'd go with the queen hornet, although "mine" didn't seem to have so much red. However, having trawled search engines the Vespa Crabo hornet thing seems closest. And I don't care if it is a protected species - so am I and if it comes back in my workshop it will get sprayed! Can't have a nest of those in my garden - too big.

Andrew

I think I got a pic in my book that matches. I'll try and photo it and put it on for EJ to look at. (Through her fingers.)

Hornet. Vespa crabo. About 1 1/2" long and 2" wingspan.

EJ: It would help if you could pick it up and hold it by the wings for a better pic......? ::)

 ??? I've got these near my lottie. It's a Hornet for sure.

Mine sound like a low flying spitfire, dog is giving them a wide berth. Thank goodness. He got stung by a whole nest of wasps once. I had to tie his mouth up and tie his legs so I could pick out the wasps. It was the worst sight ever. He was biting everyone, so had no choice with tying his mouth up. Luckily he did not have a reaction to the stings. He keeps away from them now!!

Hornets aren't normally aggressive, thank goodness. Your poor dog must have been terrified, glad he's over it now.

We had a dog once which used to enjoy killing wasps, which he caught as they tried to escape through the window. He handled them really carefully to avoid stings, but I doubt whether he was ever actrually stung as he was such a coward he'd never have gone near one again.

 ;D ;D ;D HE HE!!

Last laugh is on me EJ, I have these nesting in my roof space. OMG I heard the dreaded drone today at 6.30am, just got back from walking the dog. Followed hornet flight path, it hovered and hovered, then landed and into the roof.

Worst thing is I have a funny shaped roof, 300 year old flint and brick cottage extended over the year and yes, you've guessed this is in the most inacessable bit. Do I get the Council bug man out or do I live with em?

Chances are you have lived with them for years without knowing it. Unless they become a danger I'd let them be. We all have to live somewhere.

Live with them. The only possible problem is that when the nest collapses in late summer or autumn (I'm not sure what the time is for hornets) then you might get them coming into the house if there's a window nearby. Flyspray will soon deal with them if they do. Otherwise, Apart from that, they do loads ofgood and no harm at all.