Hornet

[Beedogg]

As I was inspecting today I heard a low buzz and a big yellow hornet hove into view. As I watched, it dropped down onto a super, grabbed a bee, killed it and carried it off.
I look at it closely whilst it was doing that and I couldn't see yellow legs which, if I understand it correctly, is indicative of an Asian Hornet. I suspect that it was a common Hornet. Is this behaviour normal?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Yes, European hornets take the occasional bee, but nothing to panic over

 

[Erichalfbee]

Is this behaviour normal?

Yes...I would have been entranced to see it

 

[Beedogg]

It was pretty impressive. It droned around me for a few seconds as I was standing over the super that I'd just taken off. Then it dropped like a stone onto a worker bee the was on the top bar of one of the frames in the super, wrestled with it for a few seconds, then gathered it up and flew off. All over in about 5 seconds. Interesting to see.

 

[Amari]

I witnessed similar recently. The hornet grabbed a bee from the landing board and then perched on a nearby twig and dismembered the corpse. A bit like a sparrowhawk catching a pigeon.

 

[Otbed]

Last year, during a desperate(!!) fight to save one of my then 2 hives from utter destruction by wasps (stores stripped out, many bees dead, unable to defend and clearly desperately hungry), I was dismayed to realise that hornets were also on scene. I succeeded in saving the hive but rapidly realised the hornets were going after the wasps not the bees. In desperation I'd put up a homemade wasp trap and I was even having to release hornets from it as they were trying to drag wasps out!

 

[alisonfosterbell]

Here in France many of us have seen this "new" European Hornet hunting behaviour, becoming like these terrible Asian Hornets. AHs pick off in the air like sparrowhawks, EHs pick off static bees. It is generally thought that the drought and lack of nectar has forced the EHs to modify their behaviour.

 

[Ian123]

Here in France many of us have seen this "new" European Hornet hunting behaviour, becoming like these terrible Asian Hornets. AHs pick off in the air like sparrowhawks, EHs pick off static bees. It is generally thought that the drought and lack of nectar has forced the EHs to modify their behaviour.

European hornets have been doing it for years in the UK…in fairness we experience few droughts

 

[Beedogg]

When I arrived at the hives this morning there was another big hornet hovering around near the entrance. Then, as I watched, it grabbed a wasp that was also loitering there.

 

[blackcloud]

If you ever get one captured alive or just intact,have a good gawp- spectacular creature.

 

[The Poot]

If you ever get one captured alive or just intact,have a good gawp- spectacular creature.

I saw none this year until two weeks ago, when suddenly they were getting trapped in my wasp traps. Fortunately I was able to release all bar one. I watched them for ages while they cleaned themselves up before flying off.
I removed the traps.