wasp hornet or worse

[Mick Dempsey]

On 07/09/2020 at 21:10, Rough Hewn said:

Looks like a wasp.
You can’t mistake a euro hornet.
They sound like a moped when they fly.

I always compare them to a chinook!

[Rough Hewn]

Hornets love ash trees and frequently nest in them.
In France you get the fire brigade in to deal with them.
They cut a 3’ hole in a large oak at my parents about 15 years ago and removed a 4’ nest.
We had a nest in our barn,
Just before we moved back to the uk.
It was the size of a roll of roof insulation with long arms coming off to secure it amongst the rafters.
Looked like something out of the Alien film.
[emoji51][emoji51][emoji51]

[youngsbury]

2 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

I always compare them to a chinook!

 

2 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

I always compare them to a chinook!

In my eyes there an Apache gun ship feels like someone’s took a club hammer to my elbow ! Thought there would be more swelling tbh but yep it smarts !! 

[Paul in the woods]

This is our current hornet nest in our woodland next to our house. Not causing any problems at the moment to us or our bees, I can stand a few foot away from the nest without problem. My bees are far less tolerant.

 

A couple of years ago we did loose a few bees to some hornets but the hornets didn't bother the hives last year. We'll see what happens this year.

 

We often get the queen hornets in the house in the spring as they hunt around our roof a fair bit, I just open a window and encourage them out. 

 

I've also noticed them chew a particular ash tree, I had thought it was to get pulp for nest making but perhaps that tree has particularly sweet sap?

 

 

[Mick Dempsey]

On the subject, my twisted willow tree is alive with wasps and hornets, I’ve even spotted an Asian amongst them.

 

I googled it and there are no clear reasons that I can gather, aphids, pheromones or something. They seem quite content all together, not aggressive, very preoccupied.
Here’s à European one on there, couple of minutes ago.

Edited September 11, 2020 by Mick Dempsey

[topchippyles]

45 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

On the subject, my twisted willow tree is alive with wasps and hornets, I’ve even spotted an Asian amongst them.

 

I googled it and there are no clear reasons that I can gather, aphids, pheromones or something. They seem quite content all together, not aggressive, very preoccupied.
Here’s à European one on there, couple of minutes ago.

Attack em with every thing you have mick 

[Mick Dempsey]

Nah, they’re fine there, if they don’t bother me etc.

[ABtrees]

This is getting more curious with each post.  Yes I get the sap bit and I have had them on Willow (doing the same thing) and Rowan (Mountain Ash) but only in the spring.  Now there's none on either of the above but..... Below are a couple of photos from just now.  They have ring-barked the whole stem in places - surely this is going to create a whole new meaning to ash die-back ?!!! It's almost like collecting from rubber trees. 

Also they are likely from separate nests as a couple of fights are breaking out at prime sites.  Guessing that there is maybe 200+ in a single 30ft Ash.  Don't see any sign of sap - no 'bleeding' and they don't seem to be carrying anything off (back to any nest).  Help me out of my ignorance someone pls but how much sap is still flowing at this time of year ? 

[nepia]

I look forward to the same education.  A wild guess... at this time of year the phloem is retrieving nutrients from the leaves to the roots:  could the insects be after those?

[nepia]

Ironically two years and a day later I may have the answer; they're still building the nest - in September.  This confuses me as I thought the building would be done months ago so that the incubation of larvae could be completed during the warm summer months.

We've been watching this one on the house grow all summer and it's still growing; pic taken 10 minutes ago