Large wasp ID please

[insy]

i wont research ill always believe there scavanging pest, all they do is bug me and get on my nerves

[smallblueplanet]

i wont research ill always believe there scavanging pest, all they do is bug me and get on my nerves

There's no broadening a narrow mind...

[insy]

ill listen to everyones opinion about any other insect/bug/animal/creature except them if i had the brains id make a little device that would kill them all ( ive had to many bad experiences probably why i dislike them )

[smallblueplanet]

... ( ive had to many bad experiences probably why i dislike them )

They can probably sense your dislike!

[insy]

good then they know its in the best interest to stay away

[womble]

good then they know its in the best interest to stay away

Noooooo, then they get worried and sting you.

[FionaH]

Anywaaaaaay.................to get back to the point?

These aren't wasps they are hornets, they are flaming huge and in my kitchen! We have had no luck finding the nest, so at least it's not in my woodpile

[gojiberry]

Wasps at the start of the season are fine and not likely to sting unless provoked and are usually to busy building their nest. However at this time of the year when the fruit starts ripening they can be very unpredictable and can sting without any reason at all.

Ian

[wellie]

This is a really interesting thread, because in the last 18 months, Trousers and I have seen/noticed a definite increase in Hornets where we live now.

He brought an old rotting WindowCleaner's Ladder home one day for the cat (she loves ladders?- don't ask?!) and I tell you wot..... YOU tell ME when there hasn't been a Hornet on it at the moment, gnawing at it and taking away in great chunks the wood for some nest or other. Personally, I would hate to see the size of the nest that they're building.
To be honest, they are getting to an unacceptable level of nuisance now in the house and garden, but I'll keep an eye on them next year, and maybe 'take it from there', eh?

[chris]

I grew up in Saudi Arabia, and the hornets there were extremely aggressive. They'd chase you, and were extremely fast!

Agressive or not, I think I'd do a runner if I saw one of them now

[Nicos]

( ...is it safe to come out yet???)

[sbeneli]

I squeal in terror and run when I see something even remotely stingy. I was even cowering from the hoverflies before I realised what they were! :-D

[Dekzion]

We have a hornets nest about a mile away and quite often they make it over here, But They Dont Make It Back!!
Being an ex beekeeper I really hate them too, what they are looking for is protein in the form of insect thorax's, thats the bit that powers the wings i.e. muscle. and they just rip that off and discard the rest.
When they find a bee nest or hive it's just a massacre, they can sting repeatedly wheres as the poor bees can only sting once due to the barb on its stinger before it dies, thats IF the bees stinger can penetrate the Hornets armour.
If these are allowed to survive Lord knows what they will do to our pollinators in the future because its not just bees they rip to pieces.

Kill 'em all I say.

[wellie]

Dekzion, reading what you've written has kind of shocked me.....
My goodness....
Is that true?!

Personally, I'd like to see The Powers That Bee on The Grapevine, if they see fit, (no pun intended) start a specific Sticky to do with this 'Pest', and to maybe have us all to 'dip into' what's going on in our own part of England, Scotland and Wales to monitor this potential nuisance.

Personally, it's a daily nuisance to us in the garden and house.

[Dekzion]

I'm afraid it is Wellie.
There is only one type of bee, around the Tibetan area I seem to recall, that can deal with them if they attack the hive.
I wont go into details here 'cos its too long, but I saw a documentry on it about 2-3 years ago.
on the good side for some though, they kill spiders too. thats why you see them checking out walls carefully.