Asian Hornet in my garden? Identification please

[Natureboy44]

These insects keep coming daily to strip the fences right near my beehive presumably to take back material to build a nest. I have not seen these before in the garden and I wanted to make sure they weren't the dreaded Asian Hornet as they are very different to the European Hornets and wasps, they are bigger than a wasp probably double the width and much chunkier with very different wings but they look a lot smaller than the European Hornets and with no orange but look hornet in appearance.

Can somebody please identify.

Video link below excuse the jittery footage

https://youtu.be/-HlV1rtn36k

 

[jeff33]

Queen wasp. You can find the asian hornet identification tips online.

 

[Natureboy44]

Queen wasp. You can find the asian hornet identification tips online.

Thank you, I didn't even consider a queen wasp would be out gathering material still now for a nest are they not usually up and running by now and getting workers to do this?

 

[Karol]

Dolichovespula media queen. Might not be a bad idea to treat the timber with solvent based wood preserver e.g. cuprinol, otherwise in three weeks time you'll have a lot of damage. Also she is a mid level nester typically eye level in shrubs and hedges so wise to be careful when pruning later in the year. Occasionally get heavily stung victims having unsuspectingly ploughed through a nest with a hedge trimmer!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I regularly have many queen wasps on my cotoneaster. I think today I counted 9 on one bush. So the likelihood is that I will have a fair few nests around. The wasps are fond of the potting shed door. The whole shed is still there and showing no signs of falling down so far.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

:Iagree: with our little ray of sunshine here.
Last year we lost a whole cricket pavillion to a queen wasp and she started devouring the giant redwood we had growing in the town park

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Crikey! That's a first - sure you're feeling ok JBM?
I have a good haul of queen wasps in my AH traps - but no AHs fortunately.