Hornet in Balham, S London

[richardbees]

I saw this striking dark chestnut/yellow insect hovering wasp-like in front of the hive entrance this pm, the guard bees were out in force and it eventually flew off.

It's the first time I've seen a hornet, it was huge - another horror to add to our beekeeping nightmares.

 

[Cazza]

I have a busy hornet nest in my eaves. Fascinating to watch them come and go - not in the direction of the apiary but onto the fen.
Cazza

 

[BeeJayBee]

I've only ever seen two or three hornets, and not all at the same time. I think they're quite amazing insects.

 

[GlenJ]

And they are a predator of wasps - every cloud and all that!

 

[Erichalfbee]

This taken in Bushy Park one year.

 

[BrianO]

Cracking Pic EricA !!!

Beautiful creatures !

 

[Swarm]

Sweet!!

 

[Mrs Shoot]

Saw 3 last week, all in my wasp trap.

 

[AdrianSmith]

I've seen two recently and one was much bigger than the other.
The following is the smaller one. I found it by the bins looking a bit dopey and gave it some syrup soaked newspaper.
It enjoyed that and then went walkabout on my arm.

 

[Millet]

I love nature and all it's diversities but i can honestly say that would have been brown bread if it was any
where near me let alone my bee's..

 

[Roola]

I caught a few in my wasp trap this year... I actually felt really sad about it and would have saved them if I could... They have never bothered my bees (unlike the hundreds of wasps) and think they are beautiful creatures.

 

[Hivemaker.]

They have never bothered my bees (unlike the hundreds of wasps) and think they are beautiful creatures.

Strange, they spend a lot of time killing my bees, dissecting them, and taking the thorax back to feed their larvae, wonder why the hornets don't do the same with your bees.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Fantastic pictures, thanks for sharing.

 

[Fritillary]

Great pics! - But that one being kindly fed by you Adrian looks suspiciously waspy to me - Are you sure you're not harbouring a dolichovespula media in your bosom? I'm not great on wasps but have just been looking at these:

http://www.bwars.com/index.php?q=wasp/vespidae/vespinae/dolichovespula-media

(Love the multi-coloured felty nest the hornets have made in Erichalfbee's photo.)

 

[AdrianSmith]

Great pics! - But that one being kindly fed by you Adrian looks suspiciously waspy to me - Are you sure you're not harbouring a dolichovespula media in your bosom? I'm not great on wasps but have just been looking at these:

http://www.bwars.com/index.php?q=wasp/vespidae/vespinae/dolichovespula-media

(Love the multi-coloured felty nest the hornets have made in Erichalfbee's photo.)

You're right! I should have realized too.
It was bothering me that it was so waspy and that I could think of the other one as being bigger, browner and more "hornet"y
I was under a bit of family pressure to get that one out of the house so opened a window and shoo'd it out before thinking of getting the camera.
Thank you.

 

[kazmcc]

Great pics! - But that one being kindly fed by you Adrian looks suspiciously waspy to me - Are you sure you're not harbouring a dolichovespula media in your bosom? I'm not great on wasps but have just been looking at these:

http://www.bwars.com/index.php?q=wasp/vespidae/vespinae/dolichovespula-media

(Love the multi-coloured felty nest the hornets have made in Erichalfbee's photo.)

Was just going to say the same thing, still a beautiful creature Not sure I'd be brave enough to let one walk on me though Adrian, kudos to you my friend

I saw a bee enter a HB flower upside down the other day, and collected the pollen. I've never seen that before, I didn't even know they did it! maybe they don't, and it was just a very enterprising bee lol

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not sure I'd be brave enough to let one walk on me though Adrian, kudos to you my friend

I'm surprised it escaped all that hair

I saw a bee enter a HB flower upside down the other day, and collected the pollen. I've never seen that before, I didn't even know they did it!

They do. Mine have been bringing home a lot of balsam pollen.....or do you mean you've never seen an upside down collection?
..................then me neither

 

[kazmcc]

....or do you mean you've never seen an upside down collection?
..................then me neither

Never seen an upside down collection. Maybe she was just being rebellious, like nectar robbing in bumbles lol

 

[AdrianSmith]

Not sure I'd be brave enough to let one walk on me though Adrian, kudos to you my friend
l

Hi Kaz, thank you but I don't think kudos is deserved really
I had recently seen someone on the telly demonstrating that hornets were really quite gentle creatures and not deserving of the fear they generate (that's the thought that prompted me to post).
If I'd known that it wasn't a hornet, I might have been more concerned
Still, I doubt there are many things that are hungry and without cause to be defensive that should worry us.
I know wasps can be sometimes be aggressive, but then their attitiude is clear even before you've been introduced (i.e. they come straight at you) .

 

[Mrs Shoot]

Strange, they spend a lot of time killing my bees, dissecting them, and taking the thorax back to feed their larvae, wonder why the hornets don't do the same with your bees.

I remember you telling us about this, so was pleased to see them in the wasp trap. Hopefully they were scout ones and the rest don't discover where my bees are.