Hornet behaviour

[slowworm]

Does anyone know much about our European Hornets? We often see queen hornets about at this time of year, you often hear the low buzz first and feel the windows rattling (I maybe exaggerating on that last bit, slightly).

Now I like seeing them but they keep surveying our roof and sometimes pop in an open window. At this time of year are they hunting or looking for a place to nest? Queen wasps have been about and nest building for a month or two already so I had thought the hornets would have already started nest building by now?

 

[boney gumbo mcgee]

I don't know much about them, but they do seem to love a large Eucalyptus tree in one of my clients garden, they go to it each summer and you can hear them from a fair few feet away, they never bother me though when I work near it.