DAY of the HORNET

 

 

 Out chopping away at weeds. Suddenly, the bush  I'm chopping starts to hum and shake.  There it is ,a massive hornets nest, hanging from inside to  down to the ground.  I thought the grey thing was a rock. But I didn't remember a rock being there before. I almost put my hand on it. ( Ewwwww) Hornets are the largest eusocial wasps. They are loud and nasty.

Under this  bush , hidden from view. If you look closely you can see a huge grey mass. The entire bush is a hornets nest. Ewwwww.

Smokey does not seem to worried about hornets.Cats. In the spring, the hornet queen will create the nest. I never saw the nest in the spring, or in the summer, or until now, when it had cooled enough to go out on the hill to chop the underbrush.

Hornets have long stingers  with which they defend their hives and kill. Oh joy, oy rapture. I almost put my hand on the hive  ( ewwwww).

 Each hornet can sting many times, and they do not die after stinging. 
                                                                          They live to sting again and again.

Single hornet stings are not fatal, unless you are allergic.  The most venomous hornet is the Asian giant hornet. Oh yuck. ( I almost put my hand ON the nest....ewwww)

Hornets are very good in rallying all their pals to sting in self defense of the nest. It is incredibly dangerous to humans. There is actually an attack Pheromone that is released when the nest is threatened.Calls the others to attack. I had to be very careful getting a pic of the nest, to show the pest control guy. Was not my favourite thing to do.

Hornets feed on nectar and sweet plants, including sap, rotting trees, honey and sugary foodstuffs provided by humans, apples, plums. Sometimes they will burrow into a sweet fruit to eat. Humans have been known to pluck a fruit with a hornet inside ( ewwwwww...we have lots of fruit ripening).

Hornets also like to eat crickets, bees, locusts and other big bugs. Chewed up and deposited in the hive for the larvae to eat. Ewwwwwwww. Pest control guy can't come over soon enough........