Queen hornet?

[Ukwildlifeo]

I saw a very large 2inch wasp today. the colouraton was like that of a common wasp but brown instead of black. I could see it had the common wasp shaped head, even though it was over a metre away! No pictures im afraid as it few past me and landed under some plants at the base of a tree. And it i was flying to quick when it reappeared. Im not scared of wasps but this was a little too big for my liking!

[GuyF]

Almost certainly a Hornet, I can't think of anything else that size and the brown is fairly distinctive I think. I'm not sure whether it would be a queen or not, all Hornets seem very large to me!
GUy

[balkantrek]

The day before yesterday, for the first time ever, my son and I saw a hornet flying round the garden. We were so excited to see it! I have seen them in Bulgaria and Greece before, but never here in Kent.

They are wonderful creatures much maligned and non-aggressive. Count yourself very luck if you have them in your garden. They are very predatory, doing a great job keeping down the local fly population!

[demicav]

I don't know much about wasps and hornets but wasps do tend to follow people and annoy them ( well me anyway ). Are hornets really non aggressive ? I always had it in my head that they would be more aggressive than a wasp. I'm interested to know just in case I ever bump into one .

[eucera]

Originally Posted by balkantrek

The day before yesterday, for the first time ever, my son and I saw a hornet flying round the garden. We were so excited to see it! I have seen them in Bulgaria and Greece before, but never here in Kent.

They are wonderful creatures much maligned and non-aggressive. Count yourself very luck if you have them in your garden. They are very predatory, doing a great job keeping down the local fly population!

They are certainly beautiful insects. Whereabouts in Kent? Kentish records of Hornets are very unusual, and well worth recording! The Hornets in Greece are, of course, a different species, Vespa orientalis.

I never saw any when I was in Bulgaria, but I must confess, I was up in the sub-alpine zone on Mt. Vitosha looking at Bumblebees

[balkantrek]

I found a hornets' nest in an old oak tree whilst leading a group through the sandstone pyramids near the Rozhen Monastery in the far south-western corner of Bulgaria. I had stopped my group for a mid-morning break by an old chapel, and we soon realised the tree beside which we were all sat had a regular stream of hornets coming and going. They didn't bother us.

[Natalie Cowley]

I Found a 4cm long hornet on a pile of clothes in my sons bedroom this morning. I have never seen one before. Thankfully It's very sleepy. It must have over wintered somewhere in the room. Im glad to hear they are not aggressive. I Plan on letting it free in a near by woodland park.

[Amiguru]

Originally Posted by eucera

They are certainly beautiful insects. Whereabouts in Kent? Kentish records of Hornets are very unusual, and well worth recording! The Hornets in Greece are, of course, a different species, Vespa orientalis.

I never saw any when I was in Bulgaria, but I must confess, I was up in the sub-alpine zone on Mt. Vitosha looking at Bumblebees

How does one go about officially 'recording' such an event Eucera please, and what evidence/expertise is required?

[Gill Catton]

Alan did get stung last year I think but he was taking photographs of the nest from quite close, don't remember him saying it hurt any more than a normal wasp sting though he did think it was a warning shot as I recall rather than an attack

[honeybee]

Yep, they can be agressive but only if you get too close. My mum's dog got attcked last year, sting doesn't seem any worse than a wasp.

Been lucky to see a few nests, one in a tree trunk and this one (if you click link) in a bird box. It's great when they buzz past you, quite loud.

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