Still no hornets.

[Marcus2]

I just wish I was a bit quicker getting the phone out to take a picture.By the time I'd opened the camera it had gone.

 

[gg012]

No, that sounds just like a queen european hornet which is native to the UK and in my experience something to look forward to seeing and not at all aggressive. I was watering the garden last night with one hunting around my plants for a few minutes, lovely to watch and listen to.

Thanks for clarifying, I thought it was a bit far north even with climate change!

Sent from underground

 

[slowworm]

Found my first nest of the season today in someones outbuilding. Plenty of hornets flying around and quite load noises of them scratching about and chomping in the roof.

I also got hit in the face by one yesterday feeding on overripe figs in our garden, it didn't sting me and we both went on our way.

 

[Ystranc]

Yup, we seem to have more than our fair share of hornets this year. No stings but plenty of irritating batting against the windows. We have placed better guards on the beehive entrances. There are also quite a few wasp colonies out in the fields which the hornets will be raiding soon.

 

[Broch]

We've got a couple of Hornet nests in the garden - one down an old vole hole! Beautiful creatures; I love them. I had one in the studio today but, luckily, if flew straight out again. I don't find them as aggressive as wasps and they don't come after my beer

I had a wasp sting on my wrist a week ago (picking berries, and didn't see it) - my arm was swollen up to my elbow, bright red, itchy and aching - it's only just cleared.

 

[slowworm]

Anyone else got any nests this year? We've had loads of queens flying about this year and I've just found our first nest, in our garage roof!

 

[Pattree]

None here at all.
Maybe it’s a bit early for our patch of the midlands.

 

[slowworm]

Well our garage hornet nest sadly petered out and is no more. There must be other nearby nests as there's loads of hornets about hunting the flies and butterflies on our fig tree.

We also had a strange occurrence with one of our bee hives today. A loose fitting entrance block was pushed out and when I got round to fixing it I found a dead hornet right under the entrance. I assume the bees had bundled it out with such force they had dislodged it.

 

[TeeDee]

Hornets??

Come hang out in my 1970's themed bathroom - Pretty much guarantee one of the little darlings will zip in and give some company whilst one is showering.

Its a bit like an audible tribute to the Hitchcock classic ' Psycho'

 

[Lean'n'mean]

as there's loads of hornets about hunting the flies and butterflies on our fig tree.

If you have figs, they're more likely feeding on them. Wasps & hornets only hunt when there are larvae to feed & there aren't usually larvae at this time of year, which is why workers are very visible in the autumn, looking for sugar as they're no longer fed by the miela secretions of the said larvae..

 

[slowworm]

Hornets are still bringing meat into their nests around here, one was busy trying to catch bees from around my legs when I was working on a hive. I had assumed they were interested in the over ripe figs but after watching them noticed they were after the flies and butterflies which they latch onto and drop them to the floor. They then proceed to chew their wings off and take their bodies back to their nest.

 

[William_Montgomery]

They then proceed to chew their wings off and take their bodies back to their nest.

I'm ever grateful not to be an insect.

 

[Paul_B]

Local honey producer sells jars with a picture of the invading hornet species that is damaging honey bee populations. I think that is a good thing and almost made the £9.50 cost of a jar seem worth considering, I said almost!!