HELP - Hornets

[HARoberts]

Hi,
I have hornets devouring the colonies in my garden. I don’t know where their nest is to get rid of them. I’ve swatted a few but is there any way of preventing them from grabbing the bees?
Any suggestions gratefully received.

 

[bobthecob]

Photo or video please (dead or alive)

 

[hemo]

If they are Crabro then they don't usually predate the colony as Asian hornet does, though I guess there can be exceptions.
As Bob has asked a pic or description is needed of the hornet.

 

[Natureboy44]

I have loads of hornets in my garden I use traps with Apple cider vinegar and sugar water a drop of washing up liquid and sometimes add some apple cider they go mad for the apple cider vinegar and the bees hate the smell so don't go in them. Emptied the traps a couple of days ago and was full of hornets and wasps and they're already filling up again. I don't like killing the hornets tbh but it keeps them occupied and the numbers in the garden down. I have these and use the sachet an add apple cider and a drop of washing liquid and I also made some extra traps out of old plastic bottles 2 x Asian Hornet Traps with 10 Refils, Pest Control Beekeeping, Free P&P | eBay

 

[Natureboy44]

Do your Hornets look like these?

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

I release the hornets I trap, they generally don’t do much in the way of predating the colonies.
Marvellous beasties and not aggressive.
It’s the wasps I can’t abide.

 

[HARoberts]

Thanks all. I’ll try and get a photo /video. The ones I have swatted looked reddish in colour. I’ll report back.

 

[enrico]

I just put my solar melter out to melt a couple of old frames down. It is now covered in wasps. Don't think I will use it this time of the year again!

 

[hemo]

I never kill Crabro I find them an impressive insect and at that a beneficial one, in 14 years have only ever seen one or two try to take any of my bees on the wing so quite rare occurrence where I live.

 

[hemo]

A beek acquaintance has an apiary with several colonies and in the same apiary and owl box that Crabro have nested in, in the past. They don't bother his colonies.

 

[Fritillary]

Admittedly I haven't had a problem with local hornets around my hives, nor when they had a nest above my balcony (apart from the fact that they're out late on autumn evenings and your lights attract them in through any open windows) ... I do like them and am only sorry that I've seen so few this summer.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Do your Hornets look like these?

Am I missing something here? All I can see is green leaves.

 

[GuyNir]

Am I missing something here? All I can see is green leaves.

Trap full of yellow jackets.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Trap full of yellow jackets.

No
Can anybody else see them ?

 

[GuyNir]

No
Can anybody else see them ?

OK, get it now

 

[hemo]

The video recording is very poor and out of focus but there does seem to be a lot of dead insects in there, if they are Crabro then all I can say is it's a shame that you decide to kill so many.

 

[Erichalfbee]

No
Can anybody else see them ?

Ah. It’s a video. Ooooops

 

[Monbees]

Wasps

 

[Fritillary]

Wasps

with at least 2 hornets. I admit I was shocked when I saw hornets struggling in a wasp trap of mine - they don't die quickly either. Since then when I've put one out I've only used traps with smaller entrances.

 

[North End Bees]

When are we going to get away from this bee-centric way of looking at insects?
Wasps and hornets are pollinators too, as well as their important role in natural predation. They keep down spiders and other insects in the natural balance of life.
I'm not saying we'd be knee-deep in dead insects without the likes of wasps and hornets cleaning up, but it's probably closer to the truth than a lot of people would like to think.
The focus should be on keeping secure, strong hives which can protect themselves rather than killing all the wasps in sight.