Discussion
Never seen one before flew into the bedroom and landed on the bed then just seemed to chill ! I don't think I've ever moved so fast in my life !
Poked my head around the door and its just sat there with the rotors at flight idle.
Shot downstairs and grabbed a pint glass which I put over it then took it outside the whole process didn't bother it temperament seemed more like a large Bumble Bee than a Wasp.
Took the glass away and after a few seconds it took off did a circuit of the garden then headed toward the woods.
Must have been 4cm it was bloody huge.
Amazing thing I'm ..... Buzzing !
Poked my head around the door and its just sat there with the rotors at flight idle.
Shot downstairs and grabbed a pint glass which I put over it then took it outside the whole process didn't bother it temperament seemed more like a large Bumble Bee than a Wasp.
Took the glass away and after a few seconds it took off did a circuit of the garden then headed toward the woods.
Must have been 4cm it was bloody huge.
Amazing thing I'm ..... Buzzing !
NDA said:
I generally see maybe ten a year.... but had two in the house yesterday.
They are generally very docile and should be left well alone as they're dangerous things. "Like having a hot nail put in you" was how one friend described being stung by one.
I never really put myself in a position for it to sting me.... When I took the glass away outside I 'ran' into the house to watch the departure !They are generally very docile and should be left well alone as they're dangerous things. "Like having a hot nail put in you" was how one friend described being stung by one.
NDA said:
I generally see maybe ten a year.... but had two in the house yesterday.
They are generally very docile and should be left well alone as they're dangerous things. "Like having a hot nail put in you" was how one friend described being stung by one.
The European Hornets are like a bee sting aren’t they? Heard one outside my office window a few days back, they make a very loud droning sound!They are generally very docile and should be left well alone as they're dangerous things. "Like having a hot nail put in you" was how one friend described being stung by one.
The Asian Hornets are the ones to be wary of.
CheesecakeRunner said:
If it’s an Asian hornet, you’re supposed to report it so the nest can be destroyed. Must admit, I wouldn’t know the difference.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-app-to-repo...
Asian Hornets are black and yellow, European ones are brown and yellowhttps://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-app-to-repo...
I had a big nest behind one of the shutters of my place in France. There were hundreds flying round the garden, no way we could stay there. Put family back into car and we drove back in to town to find a B&B. I went to local DIY shop and bought 2 big cans of hornet spray and went back to house. Hoodie with hood up. Duct tape round trousers bottoms. Gardening gloves and more tape around sleeves. A net curtain from one of the windows over my head (and more tape) and a chainsaw helmet with visor. I went into battle looking ridiculous and still terrified. Sprayed both cans at the nest, dropped cans and ran away. Sat in car for 30 mins getting heart rate back to normal and ensuring none had followed me into car. Next day they were all dead. Left for another 24 hours then gingerly opened up. Thousands of dead ones and a really beautiful nest.
Hornets are very docile and they're sting is barely any different to a bee. Not pleasant but hardly going to kill you.
If you've literally seen one I'd consider it a interesting sighting of a fascinating creature and forget about it.
I've stood directly Infront of hornets nests with my face literally inches away, and they've shown no interest at all. And I've fed them on my hand from chunks of apple.
People panic about wildlife too much, just let them live and get on with your own life and the real problems like mortgages, the cost of a pint and cancer.
If you've literally seen one I'd consider it a interesting sighting of a fascinating creature and forget about it.
I've stood directly Infront of hornets nests with my face literally inches away, and they've shown no interest at all. And I've fed them on my hand from chunks of apple.
People panic about wildlife too much, just let them live and get on with your own life and the real problems like mortgages, the cost of a pint and cancer.
Wifey once disturbed a hornets nest while walking the dogs on a regular walking route. Suffered many 100's of stings to the head and body and they even managed to sting though her coat. Many stings were just puncture sites as the creature had run out venom. Hospital job but released same day. I was blamed for not walking the dogs.
MesoForm said:
CheesecakeRunner said:
If it’s an Asian hornet, you’re supposed to report it so the nest can be destroyed. Must admit, I wouldn’t know the difference.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-app-to-repo...
Asian Hornets are black and yellow, European ones are brown and yellowhttps://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-app-to-repo...
They're actually no more threat to us than our native ones. The biggest problem is the damage they can do to our wildlife especially honey bees - a dozen Asian Hornets can wipe out an entire beehive colony in hours
I'm a beekeeper
Wife called me yesterday to see what was entering bird nest box on shed, was a bloody great Hornet. I went in shed got some insect spray and gave the box a spray if flew out double quick looked at me and cleared off I guess it got a eye full. Good job she saw it or may have had a nest full of the blighters....
There was an article in the Times a while back that was very pro-hornet. It mentioned an occasion when the writer was asked to remove a hornets' nest from a friend's property. As they were quite docile, he picked up the nest, put it in a box, put the box on the back seat of his car and took the nest into a nearby wood.
Without any protection except gloves and without being stung.
In my view the only good thing about hornets is that they are big, so easily spotted and zapped.
Without any protection except gloves and without being stung.
In my view the only good thing about hornets is that they are big, so easily spotted and zapped.
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