wasp or hornet?

[j***@ntlworld.com]

One for Mary if she's lurking.

Found this monster crawling around on our landing this evening. What is it?

Loading Image...
more pix at
http://82.24.136.66/~john/wasp-or-hornet

It doesn't look so big in the pictures but it's inside a beer glass (sans
beer :-) and about 30mm from snout to tail.

[raden]

Post by j***@ntlworld.com
One for Mary if she's lurking.
Found this monster crawling around on our landing this evening. What is it?
http://82.24.136.66/~john/wasp-or-hornet/img_3513.jpg
more pix at
http://82.24.136.66/~john/wasp-or-hornet
It doesn't look so big in the pictures but it's inside a beer glass (sans
beer :-) and about 30mm from snout to tail.

Shake it and stick it in your keks ...

looks like a wasp to me, as I think that hornets have a proportionally
longer abdomen

ICBW

[Henry]

Is it very hairy? All the hornets I have seen, and I'm pleased to say I saw
one in our garden this year for the first time, appeared to have quite a
hairy thorax and a tendency towards a brownish yellow colouring rather than
bright yellow as in wasps.

Henry

[Roger R]

Post by j***@ntlworld.com
Found this monster crawling around on our landing this evening. What is it?

I'm no expert but...
The brown head rather than black makes me vote for hornet.

Hornets have become quite rare, my Readers Digest book says they have
almost disappeared from south-east and central England. Their large
size -32 mm and loud buzzing when flying can make them frightening,
but those I've seen tend to keep to themselves very high in the trees
and not trouble humans.

The book also quotes W.H.Hudson writing in 'Hampshire Days', 1903,
saying these October Hornets are all females, wanderers from ruined
homes, in search if sheltered places, where foodless and homeless each
may live though the winter months.

IMO you should do all you can to help it survive the winter.

I suggest transfering it to an open wooden outside structure from
which it can easily escape when spring comes. As you probably
realise it may become quite lively in your heated home, so perhaps you
may calm it down by cooling it off outside or in the fridge (with a
notice on the door!).

Roger

[Dave Liquorice]

Post by Roger R
The brown head rather than black makes me vote for hornet.

I think the colour rendition of the images leaves a little to be
desired. Funny colour balance due to tungsten light making everything
rather orange.

[j***@ntlworld.com]

Post by Dave Liquorice

Post by Roger R
The brown head rather than black makes me vote for hornet.

I think the colour rendition of the images leaves a little to be
desired. Funny colour balance due to tungsten light making everything
rather orange.

Yes, sorry, actually tungsten halogen so not quiet as yellow is it could
have been but in the excitement I didn't think to set the right colour
balance.

[Dave Liquorice]

Post by j***@ntlworld.com
Found this monster crawling around on our landing this evening. What is it?

Looks like a Queen wasp to me. Shee will have come into hibernate.
Hornets are really big beggers, 40mm would be on the small side 50mm
average.

[mark]

Post by j***@ntlworld.com
One for Mary if she's lurking.
Found this monster crawling around on our landing this evening. What is it?
http://82.24.136.66/~john/wasp-or-hornet/img_3513.jpg
more pix at
http://82.24.136.66/~john/wasp-or-hornet
It doesn't look so big in the pictures but it's inside a beer glass (sans
beer :-) and about 30mm from snout to tail.

That looks like a wasp to me. Hornets are bigger and really nasty. I have
had a wasps nest in a cavity wall and had to get someone out to kill them
off. The following year they found a way in through an air vent and built a
large nest under a floor around central heating pipes. The nest was around
1ft wide and 2 1/2ft long when I took the floorboard up to spray them with
wasp killer. I soon hammered the floor board back down quickly. The noise
of them was amazing! I also found a small cone hanging in the loft and give
that a blast with wasp killer. They have never returned fortuntely.
I didn't mind them being there, but they do cause damage by chewing up wood
to form the nest. In all the cases they chewed up an old tree stump in the
garden.
Best advice is to kill them as soon as possible.
If you do find massive hornets, get your local council as the stings can
hurt, especilly if they all start having a bite!

[EricP]

Post by j***@ntlworld.com
One for Mary if she's lurking.
Found this monster crawling around on our landing this evening. What is it?
http://82.24.136.66/~john/wasp-or-hornet/img_3513.jpg
more pix at
http://82.24.136.66/~john/wasp-or-hornet
It doesn't look so big in the pictures but it's inside a beer glass (sans
beer :-) and about 30mm from snout to tail.

probably a queen looking for a winter berth, hence the large size.

[Rob Morley]

Post by j***@ntlworld.com
One for Mary if she's lurking.
Found this monster crawling around on our landing this evening. What is it?
http://82.24.136.66/~john/wasp-or-hornet/img_3513.jpg
more pix at
http://82.24.136.66/~john/wasp-or-hornet
It doesn't look so big in the pictures but it's inside a beer glass (sans
beer :-) and about 30mm from snout to tail.

Looks like a wasp to me - the hornets I've seen are more like small
helicopters than large wasps.

[Huge]

Post by Rob Morley

Post by j***@ntlworld.com
One for Mary if she's lurking.
Found this monster crawling around on our landing this evening. What is it?
http://82.24.136.66/~john/wasp-or-hornet/img_3513.jpg
more pix at
http://82.24.136.66/~john/wasp-or-hornet
It doesn't look so big in the pictures but it's inside a beer glass (sans
beer :-) and about 30mm from snout to tail.

Looks like a wasp to me - the hornets I've seen are more like small
helicopters than large wasps.

It's a wasp. If it's larger than "normal", it's likely a queen looking
for somewhere to hibernate.

We get hornets in our orchard, and they're about the size of your thumb.

[j***@ntlworld.com]

Post by j***@ntlworld.com
One for Mary if she's lurking.
Found this monster crawling around on our landing this evening. What is it?
http://82.24.136.66/~john/wasp-or-hornet/img_3513.jpg
more pix at
http://82.24.136.66/~john/wasp-or-hornet
It doesn't look so big in the pictures but it's inside a beer glass (sans
beer :-) and about 30mm from snout to tail.

Thanks all for your replies (though no sign of Mary - maybe she's out
wassailing :-).

I put it out in some bushes to fend for itself.

[z***@technologist.com]

Post by j***@ntlworld.com

Post by j***@ntlworld.com
One for Mary if she's lurking.

I put it out in some bushes to fend for itself.

So a nice wasps nest for someone or a load more of em next year then :/

I'd look after a bee. I like honey ;)

P.

[Henry]

Post by z***@technologist.com

Post by j***@ntlworld.com
I put it out in some bushes to fend for itself.

So a nice wasps nest for someone or a load more of em next year then :/

Do you have any idea how many flies a wasps nest will devour in a year?

I'd rather have few wasps than lots of flies, at least until september when
the social control of the nest begins to break down and the buggers start
getting pissed on rotten fruit and acting like chavs :-)

Henry

[Chris Bacon]

Post by Henry
Do you have any idea how many flies a wasps nest will devour in a year?

Yes - none.

[Henry]

Post by Chris Bacon

Post by Henry
Do you have any idea how many flies a wasps nest will devour in a year?

Yes - none.

Yeah yeah of course the "nest", as in the structure itself, eats none but
the grubs inside eat shed loads, you pedantic twerp.

Henry

[Chris Bacon]

"Chris Bacon" wrote...

Post by Chris Bacon

Post by Henry
Do you have any idea how many flies a wasps nest will devour in a year?

Yes - none.

Yeah yeah of course the "nest", as in the structure itself, eats none but
the grubs inside eat shed loads, you pedantic twerp.

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= your knob will drop off - have a nice day! :) =
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[Chris Bacon]

Post by j***@ntlworld.com
One for Mary if she's lurking.

She's not, however she may have morphed into John Cartmell.

Post by j***@ntlworld.com
Found this monster crawling around on our landing this evening. What is it?
http://82.24.136.66/~john/wasp-or-hornet/img_3513.jpg

Looks like a European Hornet to me.