European Hornet Often Confused with the Asian Giant Hornet They are not the same species. Close UP
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ค. 2024
- European Large Hornet up close and personal. This is NOT the Asian Giant Hornet, though many people claim to have seen the Asian Giant Hornet or aka Murder Hornet, but until 2020, this was the largest True Hornet found in the United States.
See the details of the anatomy and learn some facts about the largest hornet in North America. Facts about the European Hornet.
They fly equally by day or night. It's in the wasp family and is related to the yellow jacket.
Often confused with the Giant Asian Hornet. The Giant Asian Hornet is not currently in the United States but has made its way into the United Kingdom. May it never arrive on our shores.
The European Hornet belongs to a family of wasps called the vespids, which encompass all of the yellowjackets including the bald-faced hornets. Technically, the European hornet is the only true hornet in North America
IF you need to attract and trap hornets or wasps, here is the trap design I use: goo.gl/3HtRci
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*when the hornet is so big it performs flight checks before takeoff....*
Actually, all of these species tend to do this. They smell using their antennae, and of course see with their large compound eyes, so grooming is very important to them. I used to have honey bee colonies, and it was fun to watch the drones get ready for their mating flights (i.e., flights away from the hive during which the goal is to encounter a queen with which to mate). These drones, with their oversized eyes and thicker antennae, groomed assiduously before taking off.
That's a great comment 🤣🤣🤣
We have them in greece if u it stings ur arm where u usually get vaccines for something ur half arm will be swollen
here's a link to one of his other vids where you can see a drone preparing for takeoff:
th-cam.com/video/9TENMPsi5RU/w-d-xo.html
Ok, you can write jokes.
European Hornet: I’m the largest hornet in North America
Asian Giant Hornet: Hold my venom
May they never arrive here.... take the fight to the northwest and stop them there.
Frederick Dunn Lol i just think it’s hilarious you put that in your bio 3 years ago and now there here in the US😂
Asian Giant Japanese Hornet arrives to say there’s a new sheriff in town
@@phillipgillespie6098 aficanised bees may become the only option if the giant hornet becomes widespread, they have them in france, only a matter of time till a queen flies over the channel, then were knackered.
Himalayan giant honey bee
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apis_dorsata_laboriosa
World"s Largest Bee
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megachile_pluto
This is a nice video and full of information. However, there is one thing that must be pointed out--this particular European hornet specimen is actually a MALE so it is incapable of stinging. The long curved antennae give this away in addition to blunt end of the abdomen (especially obvious when viewed from underneath) which has one visible segment more than the females (both queens and workers). Inside the end of the abdomen are "claspers" used for mating, while the females have the sting apparatus inside their more pointed abdominal tips. The dead baldfaced hornet is also a male. The paper wasp (Polistes fuscatus) is a male while the bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) is a worker.
OOoohhh! Thank you for that detailed comment and information. I'm going to have to take "Queen" out of the title. He's so large that I was going by the size references that I looked up alone. TH-cam is great for getting input from people like you Bob, thanks so much! Another reason I was puzzled, is that the reading I did stated that the male doesn't venture off the nest much, is that true?
Thanks for pointing this out. I suspected that it was a male myself, but I had to wade through many pages of comments before I got to yours, which is one of only two I could find that point out that it's a male. I wish the video description had been updated to include this information (or even the title, or a pinned comment).
I don't care what it is kill it lol
Was thinking the same also; going off the length of the antennae.
@@FrederickDunn You're welcome, Frederick. Sorry for the belated reply. The males of this species are very large, but the queens are even larger! The males of social wasps, including hornets, are fully capable of feeding themselves by visiting sources of nectar and tree sap. When fully mature they leave their nests and can be seen in the field at such food sources, and occasionally mating with new queens. By the way, the paper wasp (Polistes fuscatus) seen starting at 2:02 is also a male, made obvious by its long curved antennae (and other characters somewhat less obvious in the video).
These things fly so clumsy too. I had one fly into my forehead while i was walking. Not gonna lie, i screamed and ran like a little girl. I had no idea these were even a thing at the time, and all i saw was the spawn of satan
Many people are freaking out mistaking the european hornets with the asian giants. Would be nice if this video was more prominent today.
I agree... thanks Lee
@@FrederickDunn Thank you so much for this video!! I just had one of these flying around me yesterday right outside my apartment and it scared the bejeezus out of me. I too thought it could be a murder hornet as I had never seen the likes of it before, and it was even bigger than this one in the video! One thing I did clearly see on it though was the furry "collar" which the murder hornet doesn't seem to have. I'm very relieved it's a non aggressive species (to humans). Again, thank you for the video!
Giant Hornets are a lot bigger than the EU Hornets (they grow up to 2 inches long). They are also more of a darker orange and has longer mandibles, which helps them to decapitate their preys.
While EU do resembles normal wasp, but super sized and a orange. So if you have a good eye, you can know which one is which.
that is a male european hornet. It looks on his antennas, it's a curve. Female hornet's antennas has similar shape as an ant antennas.
"I'm Coyote Peterson, and I'm about to enter the sting zone with the European Hornet"
Strength and Honor Holden
love it
European hornet sting is very painfull trust me
@@husky-wn9lq I agree; although I've never been stung by one, I have a couple cousins who encountered a colony in a shed and said their stings were unlike any other stings they had received. (I collected the nest at the end of the season.) In addition, I've collected liquid venom by squeezing the venom sacs, and I found I was able to obtain about half a milliliter from one colony (i.e., much more than from any other species in the US from which I obtained venom by this method).
hahaha i was looking for that when i found this
one of these things actually flew off with one of my mini sausage rolls at a picnic
lmao!
Luckily you let go before you went with it....
My Mum has had a series of huge nests of these in her loft (roof space) for nearly 20 years. She refuses to remove them, and they have never troubled her or her bantams. She did have a visit, once, when they all settled in the living room, one evening, probably a cold snap, but they left without fuss and have not returned.
I'm glad she tolerates them, but in a structure, they can be a real problem as they are efficient at chewing out areas that she may be unaware of. When they are gone during winter, I highly recommend closing up their entry points. Let them occupy trees instead.
@@FrederickDunn Can they chew through brick and concrete?
@@Copyright-di4wethey can chew through insulation and your roof
@@suckurmum6566 nope, that's made out of brick and concrete. most they could do would be to build it in the attic. but i doubt they could chew through clay shingles as well.
We seem to build houses differently here in europe.
This hornet has some interesting pre-flight checks. Reminds me of a helo
Sounds like my Cessna 172 when I throttle up...lol
Tomcat YYZ nice man, sadly I don’t think a lot of people on here know what that is
I had a nest of these in my tree at eye level. Had the exterminator come and dust them. He said they are attracted to light and will attack people with a lit cigarette. When you said they hunt at night, that made sense
You could tell that thing is smart just by the way it grooms itself.
They are exceptionally aware for sure.
This is a drone actually, a male hornet. You can tell from the large antenna.
Thanks for that observation Chris!
Very very interesting.I feel like I was watching an episode of national geographic And listening to your Voice helped with that.
Thank you Jason!
I got stung by one of them in the woods when it came down from it's nest about twenty feet up in a tree to sting me and flew back up to it's nest. I was so angry I was going to destroy the nest, but I was too lazy and simply went on my way. I distinctly remember the reddish brown color and the pain of the sting, which really only hurt for a few seconds. Little bastard.
Badly stung as a young boy, I have a total fear of them, I freeze and become uncomfortably agitated and fearful, total hatred for them yet admire them so much.
Hi Robert, that's a very unfortunate early childhood experience. I find that the more you observe and learn about them, the less apprehension you should feel. It's not understanding why something bites or stings that enhances fear. Once their behavior has a predictable pattern and you're no longer being stung, they are indeed fascinating.
robert kelly omg same
robert kelly same!!!!
robert kelly same, but the more I try to watch these videos, the more scared I get, I even swat my phone, and I hardly ever go outside anymore.
How odd... I was badly stung by some kind of stinging insect as a very young boy (and have memories of them looking as large as footballs), but even with that, I never had a fear of wasps, bees, hornets, or any of them (and still don't). Not sure why I didn't end up the same as so many others did...
I live in upste NY.I had a nest of these in the wall of my garage a few years ago.At night a few would come in the door and hover around the flourescent lights. They sounded like hummingbirds or louder.I took them down with a can of wd40 or starting fluid when they swooped down at me.A few days later I found the entrance to the nest and emptied a can of wasp and hornet spray in the hole.The next day I cut into the wall and couldnt believe the size of the nest and the amount of dead hornets. I usually leave nature alone but when you move into my house or garage,,,Its open season on your ass! :) Thanks for the great vids.
This is why most if not all houses in Europe have solid walls on the insides
European houses have solid walls cuz of harsh winters not these insects. This hornet is almost extinct in Europe. In Germany you have to pay huge fine if you destroy their nest.
Karma is stupid thing. Don't believe it.
The European hornet chooses the same kinds of cavities that honey bees use.
my close neighbour had a nest ... but this year I only heard one humming like a ,well, loud hummingbird and it was sitting on my window side and did not come into my bedroom this time-....... iI have three big ones drown in vodka/freezed and dried in my collection :-) ...they are scary looking like huge yellow jackets....//hi from stockholm , Sweden
I need a flamethrower really bad
They are handy
Sevin dust
Franz Schrodinger HANZ! *GRAB ZE FLAMMENWERFER!!"
Ba.de
Especially now
Love the sound effects! Awesome video
It sounds like a lawn mower when it’s about to takeoff
yeah ikr
That was fantastic. Good commentary!
Thank you!
Thank you for such a good video. What camera were you using?
Excellent and informative video. You were spot on about them. Thanks.
I remember my parents had a big pear tree in the middle of the lot. The stem 2 feet in diameter. In autumn the pears were lying under cracked and smashed since it was to high up to pick them. Bees and wasps everywhere. They were sitting inside the hollow pears already when they were still on the tree, eating the sweet pears. And we small boys barefooted searching our safe way between the pears. Some hornets have been there too. I caught one hornet in a marmalade glass and brought it to school. They are relatively harmless, not aggressive i mean. When you grab a pear and the backside is hollow with hornets inside, you will regret it of course. Never happened to me, though. Some wasps hit me but not too many.
Cool Story!
Sounded like a plane taking off
Or a helicopter
Both the European Hornet and the Bald Face Hornet are capable of spraying venom and usually go for the eyes when doing so.The Bull Wasp(Bald Hornet) is more aggressive away from the nest than the European Hornet but both are not to be fooled with.Both are repetitive stingers when being defensive.Use caution with these creatures.
Thanks for sharing Larry!
Frederick Dunn Likewise Fred.Great informative video!
In North Carolina we grow up calling these Japanese Hornets. Also, call the other Hornet the Bald faced Hornet. Never knew why!
Hey man, great video! I have seen these once or twice in my life before I moved to our permanent home here in VA and now they are everywhere. They are taking the pears that have fallen on the ground back to their nest. I have over a few days of following them found their nest and it is inside a tree. I do not want them on my property because we have a 1 year old that is about to be naively running threw the front yard and is going to get stung. I am not sure how many stings a small human body can take and dont want to risk it. I see that you are a lover of these impressive insects and I am a resepector (not a word I know) but not a lover of them. Is there a respectful way to get rid of them? and if there is not, what is the most human way to get rid of them? If you have the time I would appreciate it. Loved your video!
If I had a child in close proximity to a nest of these in a tree, I wouldn't hesitate to eliminate the nest. I did another video on killing ground yellow jackets and I would use the same method on the tree you're describing. They won't last 12 hours. th-cam.com/video/DmVs4GNpElM/w-d-xo.html
Old video but absolutely glad I came across it. Late this last summer I started seeing more and more of these lumbering around the lights of our house decks and inside the garage (one hornet at a time but darn scary). Did not see a nest anywhere until enough leaves fell revealing it right directly across the street about 30 feet up. Later that fall, I was brushing some leaves off of some scrap wood and got stung by one. By far the worse sting I have ever experienced in my 56 years of living in the NY countryside.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
You're welcome Chip, thank you for watching and taking the time to comment :)
Thank you for creating and posting this excellent video!
You're welcome :)
Absolutely fascinating. I especially love your respect and, clearly, love for these incredible creatures. Well done.
Glad you enjoyed it
I do photography and live in Tennessee. I was with a client and I got stung 4 times by 2 of these and my client got stung by one. Didn’t see a nest or anything just walking and got attacked.
Wow Courtney, what a strange event that was! Most people consider them to be "gentle giants", did someone do a thorough search of the area for a nest? Thank you for sharing and I'm sorry that happened to you and your client. I hope your photography insurance was up to date, even venomous stings or other oddball injuries can come back on a professional photographer if they were engaged as a client at the time. Medical insurance is crazy and they have to come after you first. Thank goodness no one was allergic!
Well I live in Union City in Tennessee soo. MOVING TO GREENLAND
❤ Amazing footage ❤ Thanks Cyra xxxx
You are so welcome
With 2020 upon us it looks like we need a new video.
We had these in our house. But here in Germany this species is protected under conservation act, it's illegal to kill them and they are very valuable with regulating the pester population in a garden. So a hive would have to be replaced by an expert. However in our house it was not possible to remove them savely, and unfortunately they build their exit direclty above our door. So we went there by night (when it's cooler and they are less active) and installed a wooden corridor to have their exit a bit more far off where they wouldn't feel threated by us when we walk into our house. It was interesting during summer to watch them at their entrance how they came with their load to feed their breed.
These hornets look very dangerous but in fact they are less dangerous than other wasps. Their sting is on pain index at 2.0 and they are even less dangerous than bees when stinging because they inject less venom. This species, unlike some wasps, is also quite calm and doesn't attack humans when they are not threated at their nest. Unlike wasps they are also pure flesh eater so they won't bug you when you sit in the garden with your fruity cake. When they appear it's only because they are hunting flys and wasps and they will leave as soon as they got their desired prey.
Beautiful creatures.
Their aggressiveness also depends on the temperature. Here in the Netherlands they are also protected and usually quite calm but on extremely hot days (like 30+ degrees Celsius) they get aggressive and there have even been cases last year of people getting attacked by these without provocation (www.rtvdrenthe.nl/nieuws/112940/Fietsers-onwel-na-steken-reuzenwespen-Ze-vielen-ons-opeens-aan).
I have seen them eating pears. Hollowing out fruits that were still hanging on the tree. Greetings from germany too.
Fruity cake...lol
I am pretty sure my friend got one of these caught in his hair once. He went into the bush the grab a frisbee and cma e out and had this huge thing in his hair. Luckily it must have been away from its nest because it didn't sting him and it wasn't super aggressrive. It was really scary though.
What plants are those at 0:45 ? I love your videos
Milkweeds :) thanks!
*_HANZ, GET ZE FLAMMENWERFER_*
This little bastards have completely invaded my house. I'm constantly finding them everywhere and they just don't seem to die off I mean, I can't find any other insects so I guess it's a good thing
That's the trade off, they take out so many plant eating worms, caterpillars and even smaller wasps. I don't know if I'd want them in my house Aaron. You should TH-cam them :)
Awesome video! These things scare the crap out of me in the fall. They are definitely an intimidating creature. However, watching a video like this definitely helps me not worry so much about them as they buzz around my porch light. The other day, I noticed that there were several carpenter bee body parts laying around my porch. I figured it was probably the hornets that were responsible. Now that I see how docile they are towards humans, I think I'm starting to like having them around. I'll just continue to watch closely where I step and place my hands when I go out at night. I know this is an older video, but thank you!
Thank you for such an informative and well-done video, sir.
You're very welcome, thanks for watching and commenting :)
No doubt in my mind I saw two of these today for the first time ever. We live in NW Washington on the peninsula across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Victoria, BC. The first scared the daylights out of me when I pulled out of the driveway and noticed it was trapped in my back window...or should I say hard not to notice. The second was dive bombing my neighbor and I around dusk while he was barbecuing {I wasted no time letting the first one out on the highway}. There was a third that about gave me a heart attack--the one in your video, thank you.
I can't find any reference to them moving into the area. I plan to call UW in the morning. Thanks so much for the very informative video. I can't say you alleviated all of my fears, but at least your wealth of knowledge will allow me to sleep tonight. ;-)
With these large, curved antennae, I think you have a he-hornet. No stinger, too!
I noticed the lack of ovipositor and thought the same thing. So this is actually the third in size. Drones and queens should be slightly larger (!!!)
Possible! :)
She’s just showing off right now. “Look at me!” she says. Jeez sounds like a helicopter.
It's a he :)
@@sandicmxr Read other comments, they say the same. Quote:
"However, there is one thing that must be pointed out--this particular European hornet specimen is actually a MALE so it is incapable of stinging. The long curved antennae give this away in addition to blunt end of the abdomen (especially obvious when viewed from underneath) which has one visible segment more than the females (both queens and workers). Inside the end of the abdomen are "claspers" used for mating, while the females have the sting apparatus inside their more pointed abdominal tips."
I think he/she is right.
Very true Ganondorf! I have another video uploading today that shows both Male and Female specimens. You are spot on!
Very informative video!
Thank you
@Fredrick Dunn, Thank you for this super informative video. If not for your video we would not have known what kind of bees have taken over one of our Bluebird boxes. It's late Sept. here in NC and the first thing we noticed, only about a week ago, were these large bees ( several of them) flying 'round and 'round our porch light when it was dark outside. We usually have lots of bugs and moths there as well, but as soon as these bees showed up the rest of the bugs were gone. That was weird. Then, a few nights went by and there were two of them on the outside of our front porch screen door' another place where months usually are at night, but this time no moths, just these two bees. First we thought they were lost (lol), because their appearance at nighttime made no sense. I thought at first that they were the fly species called News Bee.(Milesia virginiensis), but my husband said they were not News Bees. Last night when I parked the car after dark, one of them followed me to the house and again flew this way and that around the porch light. But today, after about a week of seeing these 'new to us' creatures, my son and I were getting in the car at 12 noon and my son looked over at one of our Blue Bird boxes nailed to tree and asked, " What wrong with my Blue Bird box?" ( he and his dad had actually made the box a few years ago). I looked to see, and to my surprise observed that the entrance hole had been completely mudded up and many of these huge bees ( about 20 or more, were entering in and out from the bottom where they must have chewed threw the bottom in the wood to be able to do that, because the bottom had previously been solid wood ( able to be slid forward for cleaning purposes). Now, after getting a very good look at them we know they are the exact bees you have pointed out so nicely, here. Do you have any more information on them? Do you know if they pose a big threat to Honey Bees? The reason I am wondering is because we have a lot of bee keepers in our area and in addition our friend has asked if he could place some of his Honey Bee hives here because we have a good many Sourwood trees. Thank you ahead of time if you have any extra information. ")
That's quite a story! Unless the nest is a huge one, and sounds small if they can fit in a bluebird box, then they really aren't going to be much of a problem for the honey bees. They can and do hunt at night which is probably why they are patrolling the outdoor lighting to nab some flying insects to feed their larvae. If you are in an area that gets snow, they will be thinning out pretty fast and the Queens will exit the colony/nest and winter over independently. They are much less of a threat than the Yellow Jacket wasps are :) I wish you all the best.
I have a nest of hornets in my garden. They are very friendly. Sure, new people are getting checked out. They come and inspect you and you have to stay calm. When they see that you are not a thread, they will leave you alone. I give them a little gift every now and then like a small piece of cooked chickenmeat. I noticed that they can recognize people. They know very well who is part of their territory and who is new!
Nice and wholesome :)
Imo we need more people like you when it comes to these insects.
This is true I find with hornets in general, my dad tried to hose down a nest once up high where he couldn't reach, now every time he tried to leave the house, they would swarm down to attack/intimidte him (didn;t actually sting though, just seemed like they were chasing him away fron nest) but any of us go through the door, they would leave us alone. Definately recognized who attached them from other humans.
Hornets are one of my biggest passions. Great video!
Thank you Ross, I appreciate that you took the time to watch and comment!
Same :)
I was relieved when I found out that European hornets are not very aggressive towards humans, and that they are beneficial. They eat yellow jackets and paper wasps, lol.
Their Yellow Jacket munching habit has them in my favor. They also like drones!
Wow! Very good information. Especially good to hear after all the killer bee talk lately!
Awesome video. Thanks, I learned a lot more about this huge hornet
Thank you for watching Patricia, I'm so glad you enjoyed it :)
Thank you for your quality videos. I enjoy your relationship with nature and your "child" curiosity. Beyond the excellent close observation with your camera, what I appreciate the most is the information you provide which let me understand how insects are the way they are and why they do what they do. This info gives me pleasure because it satisfies my curiosity. When I walk in a wood I wonder what are the names of plants and trees, what can you harvest from the wild for eating or using as material; how is the life of insects and how they interact with the environment. Bees fascinate me particularly, with their incredible organisation...
Thank you so much, what a great comment! I'm glad to take you an others along with me as I share about everything I come across outside :)
Frederick Dunn
You deserved it! I saw some videos from "apiculteurs" in France where they use chickens against the asian giant hornet. It seems that for chickens is easy to hunt them because of their statianary flight around the entrance of the beehive...
steel1583 That sounds interesting, is there a video link you can share?
@@steel1583 The species introduced into France is Vespa velutina (the Asian black or yellow-legged hornet), not the giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) which is much larger--in fact, the workers of V. mandarinia may even be larger than queens of Vespa velutina. V. velutina is a much more agile species when flying, and its nests are primarily aerial while V. mandarinia is somewhat slower (but much stronger) and nests underground.
@@FrederickDunn th-cam.com/video/JfQF8HxZqXY/w-d-xo.html
beautiful! I always enjoy your channel! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for all of your comments and for taking time to watch my videos. :) I really do appreciate it.
Well thanks for all the excellent knowledge and commentary!
I have these in my yard right now and I only see a few at night but this whole bush had like 100 buzzing about it in the day time. I want to go back there but I dont want to stumble by the nest. One of them at night almost looked like it was rushing me. How close to the nest do you have to be?
I'd stay clear of the nest cavity fly-way. You can approach from the sides if you hav experience and know when they are defensive.
even though watching this made my skin crawl it was a fascinating video... insects are quite fascinating in general .though i am drawn to spiders in particular ,thanks for the video
Glad you enjoyed it Steven!
Thanks for this. Hornets and Wasps are without a doubt my favorite creature in nature.
Same, at least as insects :)
@@Beos_Valrah Same too
Thank you for this video. I saw one of these yesterday and was trying to figure out what it was.
So mainly they die in winter? (expect the queen) I have a few videos I've done on my channel.
While it's true that the European Hornet can, and often is, mistaken for the Asian Giant Hornet, they can be told apart by their coloration. The European has irregular blotches on its abdomen, while the Giant has solid stripes. They're also frequently confused with the Cicada Killer, which has a black abdomen with yellow blotches.
how much energy do queen true hornets need to fly? seem lArger they are longer take off is.
Hi Douglas, because they are so large and heavy, they use up lots of carbohydrates to fly and hunt. This is why adults are often found around sugar water feeders and other nectar sources, they need the energy calories. Remember that solid food is for their brood and developing larvae. I can't give you a solid calorie number I'm afraid.
Thank you for that presentation.
Glad it was helpful!
the thing is that i live in Georgia so it is located in between asia and europe so im kinda confused how they got here ?
What an amazing video, we get lots of these where we live in the uk. Absolutely amazing video, it's nice that you demonstrate that she's not dangerous unless you attack the nest 👍🏼. It makes me feel more comfortable about them 😁
Thank you so much!
So glad you enjoyed it Kimberly :)
Thanks! I have one and it doesn't seem to want to hurt me so I just leave it alone. Thanks for the info. I didn't know what it was.
Interesting and most informative. Great photography with a sensible and factual commentary.
Thank you so much Colin! It's nice to have my work appreciated :)
Frederick, thank you for posting. I've been looking for a new or wasp or hornet that I saw coming out of the back of a container the a trucker was hauling Jackson Mis... I thought it was a Africanized honey bee, however they aren't big enough to foot the bill. I believe what I saw, and let me tell people were staying away, was a hijacked nest. They were not happy..Ans as I just saw they take a lot to get going. I think the guy stopped for fuel, then realized what he had done and was waiting for the authorities because it was scary. They are absolutely huge and when you see 5 or six coming out of a whole in the back of a dry van you realize quickly uh oh not good. I kept thinking why did he pull in here with that going on, all I can think of was he hooked to the van and took off stopped to fuel and realized that it could be super dangerous to continue... I also had stopped to fuel and contemplated my choices, but I was low in fuel and had to get out of my truck... healthy respectful let me tell you... One is crazy, a whole nest of them pissed off is another... Anyway thank you I was wondering what they were. There's no mistaking one that's for sure...
I have been studying these for the first time this past Summer and now Fall. I also wanted to collect one or more of these for my own personal collection, so I originally put up a wasp trap of the kind that is a 2L soda bottle with a 1" hole in the side. Despite using a recommended sugar water and banana peel recipe, no Euro hornets visited, only bald faced. Although I didn't expect it, soon after I erected a butterfly trap, baited with rotting bananas and sugar water solution, I started finding the Euro hornets in the trap. Almost every day since late August, there have been between one and five Euro hornets found in this trap. I find they most often visit on the sunniest of days, when the air is calm, and temp is above 65 F. Even if it's cloudy and 75 F, chance are they won't visit. Very odd, but they definitely have certain habits they must follow. Thanks for the video.
That is fantastic information and thank you so much for posting it! I'll pin your comment so others can benefit from your success! Have a great day!
You're welcome! The trap has brought in a surprising amount of insects other than butterflies. On the warmest, sunny & calm days, I've not only had Euro hornets, but also bald faced (which are a pain because they will chew through the trap and exit if I don't remove them quickly), yellow jackets, cicada killers in July/ Aug, and even two ichneumons one day. Thankfully no honey bees as, for some reason, the bait I use doesn't seem to appeal to them. I have not seen the Euro hornets attack anything while in the traps, but the bald faced sure will. They will regularly grab the house flies that are almost always within the trap and have a meal. Actually, the bald faced will sometimes try to agitate the Euro hornet(s) present but I've never seen it escalate beyond simple agitation so far. A very interesting season for sure and the first time I'd seen ichneumons in over 20 years.
Euro hornest dispatch Bald Faced Hornets with ease, all they have to do is get one in knabbing range :0) sounds like you have a very diverse insect population there!
Frederick Dunn great video. But the ground hornet, or cicadas killer is the largest of all wasps in North America. Adult females grow between 1.5" - 4".
Thank you Va HOSS, this is a Hornet, the cicada killers are certainly interesting, but unfortunately, they aren't found in my neck of the woods. Cicada Killers are from a different family and are not hornets (Vespidae) as the one shown here is. Very interesting though!
No reason to worry about European Hornets, they are remarkably peaceful giants compared to ANY of the other Hornet types from Asia for example. Had quite a few Hornets every summer in our yard in Germany, but never ever had any issues with them nor did they show any signs of aggression. These are rather "gentle giants" at least far more than any wasp or bee around here.
Well done good work here, Good stuff.
Thank you!
*NEW CHALLENGER APPROACHING*
Asian Giant Hornet: Decapitates the competition!
could definitely do that with no problem
Great vid, but that's still a scary critter!
Thanks! and yes, they are impressive!
Looking at the antenna especially and the roundness at the tip of the abdomen, I’m pretty certain that was a drone, aka male.
Apparently you're right.
Thank you again for insights and information. Is there not a new, larger, hornet in some parts US, from Asia? Will entrance reducer keep European Hornet out of hive? Thanks again...
Hi Gregory, the Giant Asian Hornet may have begun to establish itself in the south somewhere, but I don't have any solid information on that yet. I hope it does not get a foothold here as they have killed many people in other parts of the world. Entry reducers will allow the honey bees to prevent the entry of this hornet, but honey bees will still be lost in the defense of the colony. The honey bees repel them by several guard bees defending at the same time.
I have recently come across 2 of these in 2 separate places in Brooklyn NY. I killed one while I was in my pool, I was under water and came up and it was right in my face. I splashed it and got it and it fell into the pool then I took it out with a skimmer and crushed it. I thought it was the Giant Killer Asian Hornet, then today I was at my mothers house and there was one in her backyard. it flew under the cement slab that we are building a new shed on, there was a gap under the slab between the cement and the dirt. any ideas of what I should do?
Excellent and enjoyable. Love to see details about the beautiful European Hornets. They are absolutely magnificent. And, as anybody could see, they are not that aggressive. Try putting your finger near a common little yellow jacket and you would be stung immediately, quickly. These are smart, complex animals with focused agendas. And, you should be glad they reduce populations of bald faced hornets because the latter are a bit more aggressive, but still not as volatile as the little yellow jackets. Great video.
You would not believe the hate-messages I received for allowing it to fly off. Nice to receive comments like yours.
Omg I was wondering what these were when my parents were getting our inground pool put in we had dirt around the edge of it and these huge wasps were everywhere and me and my cousins would literally snack them out of the air and then jump in the pool. Good times.😂🤣
i was stung on my temple over the summer by one, hurt like a bitch and my face was swollen for 3 whole days afterwards
That's truly a terrible experience. Glad you're ok now. Thanks for sharing Shelby!
Frederick what is that fluid at the bottom of the petrie dish, it almost looks like she is doing some kind of dance. I mean what is she doing that this fluid?
just waste material prior to takeoff :)
How many people are now seeing/have previously seen a European hornet and are now panicking, thinking they saw an Asian hornet? Relax, you probably didn't. They are both big, but with different markings and behaviors. Look up the difference before needlessly freaking out. Ugh. Media fear mongering strikes again.
If they see them side by side, the difference is dramatic.
Well said! I hate those repetitive retarded fear-mongering comments that dominate videos like this! 👍👍
Hi Mr, Dunn, why do you say they are the only true hornet in the U.S.? If true, then what is the Black-face "Hornet" a wasp?
The Bald Faced Hornet is actually a wasp, as are many other varieties, even though they may have "hornet" in their common name, they are wasps. Thanks for asking... I know it's confusing.
thanks Mr. Dunn.
You're very welcome
Frederick Dunn All hornets are wasps.
I got an ad for Asian Bees just before this video...
Very interesting video! I have perhaps 10 or more of these hornets that have been hanging around my hummingbird feeders for the last couple of weeks. Before they came along there were large numbers of yellow jackets which no longer are around. They do feed on sugar water as well as other insects.
European hornets are actually the most benign of all wasp species in Europe, including honey bees. You must act ridiculously annoying to get them to sting you.
PS: The way she grooms herself at 09:00 is adorable.
Yep, I've been able to observe them at their nest in a tree this year from a very close vantage point. Pretty mellow.
Actually, polistes dominula is even more chill than hornets are, alas these aren't "real" wasps, but from the closely related family of paper wasps.
I am from germany and i have to admit that those hornets are very peacfull, more peacfull than yellow jackets. I even had some on my hands. You just shouldnt come closer to the nest than 5 meters.
Furthermore they are very important for the ecosystem
I agree Fabi, thanks for sharing.
That thing flew into my room today, I was freaked out.
Best video I've seen on European Hornets. I live in southern england, UK and have had nests of them in our loft and nearby dead oak trees over the years..
Never been stung yet but then don't disturb them. They don't seem to re use their old nest as only once been in our loft..
Re the video I've seen very similar preparations for flight with ones I've rescued from in our house and released outside. Fascinating watching them eating other insects like our wasps on the fruit trees.
One very strange behaviour was when we had the nest in the loft the past year. The were attracted to our outside porch light like moths, stayed buzzing around it most of the night and in the morning would be found on the ground below writhing around and "stinging" the air. No I did not pick them up!! It was a compact fluorescent light CFL and I guess producing a fair bit of UV. In the end we switched it off before going back to a tungsten bulb.
Now off to examine my old pictures to see if mine were males or females - most informed comments you have had to your video. Thanks..
Hey from Europe, we've had 2 European Hornet nests in our yard, these things are huge and sound like a damn mini chopper when they fly close past your head
You can actually spot them flying from about 30-40 meters (100-130ft) away under the right circumstances.
I've read they're gentle but tbh they freak me out so I usually swatted them down and stomped 😬
I wanna relax on the terrass, not be freaked out.
But tbh I've never been stung by them no.
Anyway, one nest was inside a hollow cavity of a chesnut tree and was removed by an exterminator, the other nest actually just dissapeared, I think the colony died, there's alot of birds around so I think they were a snack (some birds here eat them)
Im from DC and we had a nest of them in a tree by our house. My dumbass brother threw a rock at them and they chased us and stung our dog smh. The dog screamed like a small child but she ended up okay. after she went in the house and layed down and slept for the rest of the day.
When i was 9 or 10 years old, i was on my neigbhours house with my dad. There was a ladder that went on top of the triangle shaped roof, so as a young boy obiously i went to clim on top of the roof. When i reached top , i slowly crawled about 3 meters away from the ladder and sat there, then the neigbhour noticed me and said to my dad " Oh my god ,There is a european hornet nest right beside the ladder and your son is on the roof". So my dad came out and told me to come down the ladder slowly without throwing my hands around. I told him that i was scared, they are gonna sting me. My dad told me that hey arent gonna sting me if i come slowly. Then i was like okay, i trust you dad. Then i started moving towards the ladder, there were so many of them, around 50 hornets flying around the ladder. I got right by the ladder when i felt first sting behind my head. then i started thorin bitchslaps to every hornet i could. Then my dad rushed up the ladder and took me down. We both ended up with 6-9 stings around the head and neck area. My head hurt like hell so i went to sleep in the car, and when i woke up everything was okay, besides feeling like something is still stinging me behind my head. Ever since then i have destroyed around 10 hornets in 15 years and i have got my vengeance on them.
Found one dead on my trampoline I was really impressed by how large it was stinger included.
its crazy how that massive back end is held to the main body by the thinnest piece of flesh it looks like it should just snap in half. ive only ever seen one here in the uk and apparently the giant japanese hornets are establishing here now which is a little scary i believe they are much more agressive and poisonous than our native species! great video again frederick.
That narrow connection is why they can only ingest nectar. I recently watched a presentation by our of the UK's foremost entemologists, he said the early "scares" regarding the giant hornets are false, they have not yet arrived on your shores, so for now, you're ok :)
Frederick Dunn yeah but it just doesnt look like it could support that huge back end lol and im glad it is just a false report i dont need them flying around my garden. thx for the reply again.
Agreed and I hope the Giant Asian Hornet never makes it to you or us.
Wow. When you opened the dish, her abdomen kept dipping in the poo? Do you think this was accidental or purposeful? Thanks for the great vid.
It is called the "abdomen".
Dude you’ve got balls as big as the size of that hornet. A big fat thumbs up and a subscriber... keep posting videos , looking forward to enjoy your channel :)
Hornet is so big it has a tail # and needs a catapult to launch it..
I must have found a queen. I found one of these nearly 2 inches long! She was dead on the ground under an old nest as well as a new yellow jacket nest with a queen and two workers already "born". Anyway, she must have recently died as she was still full, and um, moist? Lol well every bug or wasp that had been dead a while are usually dried up and super stiff and light and easily broken. Lol
I'd actually want to see one of these take on a tarantula hawk.
N Brooks the ninja of wasp😂
This is unlikely to happen because they don't occur in the same regions (at least that is the case in the US). However, it is possible that the ranges of some of the Asian species of hornets overlap those of some large spider-hunting wasps. In general, the hornets typically don't attack wasps larger than themselves but will go after large members of other groups of insects (such as cicadas and mantids).
I think they would just avoide each other. However, our mantis "Mildred" ate one of them like a snack.
How big do they get i remember a couple years ago I usto see ones the size of my pinky and over the summer it seem like they shrunk was this the same bee? I'm from NJ
That was an amazing video
Thank you so much!
Bubble Bees are my favorite! Hornets are absolute worst creatures.
going2sleep honestly hornets aren’t horrible unless you invade or get close to a nest territory. Wasps are just assholes.
What are these Bubble Bees you speak of?
@@tomcatyyz He ment bumblebees just spelled it wrong.
I looked on the Internet to find out about these with no luck, I should have looked here first! Every time I turn on my porch light I get one of these hornets. They are BIG! Must be a nest really close. What should I do? Is there anything I can do? Cathy Wv.
Hi Cathy, I don't think you really have to do anything? The nest may be far off and too high off the ground to access. They aren't that threatening to people. I'm not sure if you live in the city or country, but you can feed wild birds in your yard by putting out several feeder stations. When you turn on your porch light, it's coming in to feed on the insects that are attracted to that light. The nest may be in a dead tree, or cavity left by a dead branch etc.. but again, they are no where near as defensive and likely to sting as are the yellow jackets and bald-faced hornets. I haven't been able to find a single specimen this year!
Frederick Dunn Wow.... I didn't expect a reply so soon! Thank you.... I'm out in the country and sit on my porch a lot.. It's been a very strange summer as far as the bugs being attracted to the light, hasn't been any. Only the hornets.. Very few moths, no hard shell bugs at all. Really strange. Usually covered with bugs after only a few minutes with the light on. Thanks for answering and I'll not wast time worrying about them...... Cathy WV.....
you're welcome and that's odd about the scarcity of night flying insects? Hmmmm... innteresssting...
Look up cicada killers im not shure but i think there one in the same but i growing up found them making nests underground.
unfortunately there's little one could do as they are attracted to light sources at dusk or early night fall when at close proximity of a nest. try indirect lightening of the porch or guard the seating area with mosquito net.
Well done educational video, thanks!
Thank you Timothy, so glad you enjoyed it!
So I just came across this video.i have a hornet nest in a wall of my mobile home I spent alot of time yesterday and last night spraying them as they cam in and out and spray up in the cavity.i havent seen any more this moring.but I domt want them to chew threw the paneling walls and get access to the inside.what would you do to remove these. I killed around 50 yesterday.
Hi Casey, I would personally not kill them in the walls as they will decompose like any dead animal and create a huge stink followed by a fly infestation. I would put escape cones on the entrance so when they go out, they can't get back in. This way they will all eventually move out as they use up their resources. The Queen will be the last to go and you'll just have an empty nest in the wall that has been cleaned out by the wasps. Otherwise, you're probably facing a cutout situation.