As usual, the media comes in to push hysteria and shock. I see these guys occasionally in my area and had a hunch that everyone saying they saw a "murder hornet" was just seeing a normal species of the region.
Vespa Crabro is an amazing hornet, they are surprisingly gentle and shy. The bald faced hornet is another favorite of mine, they are a yellowjacket killer.
Beautiful videography (as ever), and extremely educational. Thank you for such a valuable resource to point people towards to prevent undue panic, use of poisons, and other unwise acts.
Many years ago when I was a kid I found an European Hornets nest. It was located in a neighbors yard in an old bird house that the bottom had fallen out of. It wasn't a large nest but it was interesting to watch. On yellow jackets... my hive is situated on the second floor deck of my garage/carriage house. When I observe it I always take a badminton racket with me. When new bees are taking first flights or tired foragers return if they miss the landing board and land on the deck (which is a flat roof) yellow jackets are on them in seconds. They will kill them and fly off with the "good bits" in a minute. I'm an Urban beekeeper and yellow jackets are at their worst now. Traps and the badminton racket don't really make a dent. But the racket does give me a little pleasure!
Thanks for making the video and clarifying the differences. We have the European Hornets here in Virginia, they come out mostly at night for some reason. They don't seem to bother the bees and will help clean the honey off the supers when I put them at the feeding station.
Thank you for this! My dad had one of the European Hornet on his porch many years ago. He thought it was hybrid between a wasp/ yellow jacket. He grew up in the hills of NC and never saw anything like it in his 92 yrs.
Mr. Dunn, this was undoubtedly one of the better videos I’ve seen on the subject!! Thank you for your fine camera work and voice-over narrative. The more I learn about these creatures, the more I know how to respond to them. I sincerely try to keep “killing” off my list. Certainly with honeybees, and hopefully with yellowjackets and hornets, too. Another of my favorite channels, Hornet King, has a re-homed European Hornet nest living in a box, mounted inside his shed. He’s also got several re-homed bald-faced hornet nests around his property. Like you, he works hard to educate his viewers, and I appreciate it!! All the best, my friend.
HI Dan!!! yes, I was so excited when they did that line-up and hoped they wouldn't fly away before I could capture it! One of those "moments" we have no control over :)
It was a picture perfect moment. Wow!! Can you make a still from that? A great education tool. Now to find out more about wasps and or hornets found in Australia!
We have the hormets here in Holland. They are protected by law. (In Germany even more). I could touch them while flying, but I didn't dare take her by the thorax (yet) They are great.
You shouldn't take the hornet by the thorax unless you want to get stung. They are very gentle but getting trapped is one of the things that makes them defensive.
@@mihaiilie8808 In Greece they don't, but i have to say that may the distribution maps not show them in southern Greece but they exist, I have found three nests in peloponnese (close to the tripoli city), two nests this year and one back in 2015.
They are protected by law in most of Europe. They were actually considered an extinct species in Norway for a long time, but they have started to return (albeit very slowly)
Dear Mr. Dunn, I confess that I am torn between sending you a note or not. But this time I decided on the former, because , in this episode, I clearly learned the distinctions among bees, hornets, and wasps. Your lesson was greatly enhanced by your superb close-up photography. Also, thank you for pointing out the various parts of these creatures’ anatomy. I have taken enough of your time. I am very appreciative of all you doing for us your avid followers. Sincerely, Larry Clarence Lewis, Canada.
We had some European Hornets in my attic (Maryland) and I was in awe of the sheer size of them. I was pleasantly surprised by how docile/non aggresive they seemed.
I've always liked that German website that talks about the European hornet, and my guess is you've seen it too. According to that site many beekeepers in Europe will actually encourage these gals to set up nests because they prey on wax moths. There's a section of that site which acknowledges that the Asian hornet, Vespa Velutina, is a much bigger threat to bees.
Hi Frederick. Great post. I saw the wasps feeding on another one of your posts. I am petrified of wasps but love to learn about them. Scary wasp post but good info. Do you know if there are giant Asian hornets in the U.K.? 👏👏👏😁👍
There aren't any Asian Giant Hornets in the UK, nor in Europe as a whole. The smaller (non-giant) Asian Hornet is an invasive species in France, but it's slightly smaller than the native European Hornet shown in this video. The Asian Hornet has been spotted a handful of times in the UK, but is not considered to have established itself there.
amaureaLua Thank you so much for your help. I am terrified of wasps so 3.5 Eastern European wasp is huge for me. 😵If I see one you won’t see me for dust😳😁
In middle school, an underground yellow jacket nest almost got me. I was cleaning a fire pit, pulled up some weeds, and they started spewing out. If I hadn't been stung by a singular yellow jacket the week before, I don't think I would've recognized them or understood the danger I was in. Yellow jackets still scare me to this day.
Isn't it still super rare, though? It was gone for 100 years, and has just recently started reestablishing itself. I've never seen one myself, so I appreciate these videos.
@@amaureaLua Yes, it is very rare. It's only been encountered in the southernmost parts of the country. A few years ago, the hornets started coming back, although only in the south. In the north, it is too cold for the hornets. But we have different species of yellowjackets living up here though, one of which that has a similar coloration to the hornets, but is 1/3 the size of one.
I had one of those hornets fly into my apartment. Give you a heart attack. Living close to the desert I would get Vinagaroons. Those guys are out of a Ridley Scott movie.
@@FrederickDunn They are members of "Whip Scorpions" . This reminds me. Do you have trouble with spiders and scorpions (I'm sure you don't have scorpions) messing with the bees?
Fred, I remember you mentioning in another video that the water was black with the spirulina in it: I wonder if the honeybees aversion could have something to do with that? Just a thought that popped in my head.
Nice thought, but the bees are still finding what they need with plenty of goldenrod and asters around. I expect the honey bees to mob these feeders within the next week.
That's a very good point! Lots traffic in and out from my hives right now, of course, I'm in Lexington, KY, so I expect it for at least a few more weeks here.
This Video was Sooooo Awesome! Love the part when the 3 lined up together. The closeups are Absolutely Amazing and the Spirulina being loved by these wasps and hornets are like whoa! This revalation along with the light you mentioned placed at least 75 feet away from your Apiary could really help out our bees 🐝. What would be the solution for the "meat" requirement of the wasps & hornets brood? The light would help attract some, but what else could we do to keep the girls off the menu?
This time of year, they all ingest syrup/sugar/carbs.... a few still need the meat for some late season brood. Most of the hive attacks are for the honey, so this is a huge help. I refilled all of the Spirulina drinkers this morning... I'm hoping it also works to draw off the bees and occupy them rather than robbing each other!
Good information on this video. Wanted to get your thoughts on a topic I've asked on other channels. If the Asian Hornets were to encounter the European type---which of the two would wipe the other out? I've been told that mandarinas would prevail but is that possible since crabro has been here much longer, has adapted to this ecosystem and has more colonies?
Hello, well, Vespa Mandarinia would make short work of the Vespa Crabro hornets. They are not a close matchup, and if mandarinia got a foot- hold here, they would likely displace crabro where they overlap. I hope that we don't get to observe that contest, and that what they have done so far will continue. Mandarinia is at an entirely different level which is why the response to its presence in the U.S. was so intense.
Thanks for the video Mr Dunn,,, Just watched A Video Differentiating these Two,,,On Brave Wilderness,,With Coyote Peterson,, Last night,,I think they also take Sap from some tree?,, Can't remember exactly which One..🇱🇨🖤👊🏿👍🏿
Hi Don, the Bald Faced hornets make a large paper nest that is exposed to the weather and have brood "umbrellas" on a central column and then all covered with an outer paper nest with several entrances. The European Hornets also make the paper nests with hexagonal cells, but construct them in another shelter that already exists, much like bees finding a home in a cavity.
Fred, I don’t know much about hornets. The only ones that I’ve ever seen in AL were in a pointed cone shaped made from the paper like substance. The top is normally attached to a tree limb or under the overhang of a roof sometimes a house. They have one entrance normally a couple of inches from the bottom. In my younger years I saw plenty of the in Southwest AL where I hunted. They were mean and very defensive and they had a pretty mean sting so when I saw a nest I kept my distance and I still do. I don’t mind a honey bee sting, I guess I’ve had so many I’m immune to them now. Thanks for the excellent video and the info.
Most people have no clue what is what when it comes to bees, wasp and hornets. Shame too. But I don’t blame them, I blame our education system. They are all here for a reason. Learn before you just kill.
Bald faced hornet, or white faced hornet we had a volleyball sized nest. They got me while I was trimming the bush they were in. I showed my wife your video you did a while back, because I was going to take care of it... with propane and my 100,000 btu flame thrower. $150 later the exterminator removed it. Good thing, they had reinforcements coming in from the neighbors yards around me. It was hot here in Buffalo this summer, so the Yellow jackets and bald faced hornets seemed to be everywhere. Thanks for the explanation, next time I hear a flying chainsaw I'll know it was just a European Hornet.
Mortified! How I felt when I witnessed a European Hornet take down a Yellow Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly that was nectaring on beautiful phlox right in front of me. The Hornet buzzed and rammed the Butterfly off the flower with such speed and force, the Butterfly was stunned and tumbled to the ground whereupon the hornet lands, chomps off the head of the butterfly and flies off with the rest. No wonder my butterfly numbers were down this year. Also, I have seen praying mantis, wasps and yellow jackets eat the eggs of butterflies. Thanks for informative and interesting content. (shakes fist) Fie the scourge! LOL
Same problem here despite being in Europe, you know, the place the European Hornet comes from... anyone seens one "oh I saw an asian hornet, must kill everything..." We have an ivy bush, this time of year it's putting out huge nectar loads and *hums* with insect life, flies, bees, the lot. And (european) hornets hunting. Actually, they're *really* bad at it. The target fly just changes direction or ducks behind a leaf, the hornet crashes into the leaf, drops a foot or two before recovering, and starts over... I've watched for hours, rarely see a "catch". Most years a queen starts a nest in our porch. We just knock it down whilst it's only an inch or so across and she goes and starts again somewhere else.
Frederick Dunn I was doing research on wasps because I want to find out what I have in my vines , I had four nests in little birds feeders and bird houses which my wife hanged, it did really helped no more little flys this year . Lots of videos I watched I saw your comment, one example was a women by the vineyard explaining the pro and cons of a paper wasp,sorry even my RUclips history doesn’t remember what I watched,thank you for the content you do ,really enjoyed 🐝
Excellent job, very informative. I am near the area where the giant Asian hornets have been found. The dept of Ag has been overwealmed with mistaken id's. The yellowjackets have been awful the last 2 years , bald faced hornets not as bad.. I feel that a big part of my winter loss was due to the the stress that the yellow jackets caused on the honeybees. The constant harrasment lasted all summer, like thugs hanging out at the front door
No doubt that Yellow Jackets are always pinging hive entrances and looking for back doors or upper less guarded points of entry. They fly out colder than the honey bees, so early mornings are interesting to say the least.
Hello, Frederick. I'm writting from Northern Spain, where we have a lot of Vespa crabro. I like them, because they are beautiful. But in the last two years the have become very widespread around my home and this spring they are visiting my balcony a lot of times in the daytime. I thought it can be the colours of the balcony, as I have known that they like (as other insects) yellow and white colours. But I can't paint again the walls of another colour. Do you know some natural or artificial deterrent to European hornets? Because I have an old person living with me and I would like to get into the balcony with some security. Notice that I know that they are quiet gentle and pacific, but for some people the are quiet scary. Thank you and have a nice weekend, your channel is very interesting.
You could hang one of those fake wasp nests to see if that visual presence may invite them to move along? I haven't tried that myself, but many do say it works.
Here in france we have a big problem with the vespa velutina, These days my hives are under pressure ..the bees can't go outside and are seaged ...no pollen is coming in ...
every year we have European hornets in the garden. By knowing each other and leaving them alone (we even give them water and sugar in front of the nest), they are very friendly. However, if you come across their nest in the woods for example, beware, they can be very dangerous when defending it. Another advantage is that we don't have any wasps or mosquitoes and other similar insects in the garden.
I starting using syrup with essential oil/soy lecithin to spray down my hive recently instead of smoke. Thanks for the pointer. However, I noticed after 2nd round of treating with Mite Away Quick Strips that the spraying attracted wasps by the hundreds and honeybee robbers to that hive. As a result I had to put the entrance reducer onboard. (I went and got copper scrubbing pads per your earlier suggestion and will replace today). As a test I sprayed down the outer walls of the empty hive next to it. Wasps went there by the hundreds as well. Have you noticed it attracts robbers?
The European hornet is rather common here in Sweden. We call them Bålgeting! They sound different and in my 54-year of a life, I have never have an issue with one. Exept when their was a nest in the ceiling of the copy machine room at work. I refused to get in there, They crawled all over the floor but didnt hurt anyone, you are not supposed to kill them, they take other wasps and evil bugs :) I am frightened of wasps but I ve been learned that these ”guys” are friendly if you dont get to close to their nest. I think Ive got a nest in my wall close to my bedroom window because I sometimes hear their dark buzzing sound outside it. When I had the net in the window (when it was hot outside) one was there often, maybe I smell sweet 😂 If a wasp comes inside I run out (don’t dare to kill it), if a bålgeting comes inside, I try to let it out, not as frightened as if it was a wasp. Mostly scared the cats will try to eat them! I am not afraid of Bumble bees or bees! They look nicer. Fluffy dudes . But the hornets can live in my wall, if they want, as long as they dont make a problem. I respect them highly though!. But I am not sure they live there, can be nearby in the woods or in some tree with a whole. Guess they can travel far, thanks for your educational videos,
Wasps and hornets are both stinging insects that are closely related to bees. However, there are some key differences between the two groups. Size Hornets are generally larger than wasps. The largest hornet species, the Asian giant hornet, can grow up to 2 inches long. The largest wasp species, the giant paper wasp, is only about 1.5 inches long. Coloration Hornets are typically yellow and black striped, while wasps can have a variety of colors, including black, red, brown, or even blue. Nests Hornets build larger nests than wasps. Hornet nests can be up to the size of a basketball, while wasp nests are typically only about the size of a grapefruit. Aggressiveness Hornets are generally more aggressive than wasps. They are more likely to sting if they feel threatened. Venom The venom of hornets is more potent than the venom of wasps. However, the severity of a sting depends on a number of factors, including the size of the insect, the number of stings, and the individual's allergic reaction.
Beautiful close up video! And not just fear Fred, but ignorance is the cause of death by mistaken identity. Question if I may. Since you appear to be a rather educated man. How does one make the distinction between a wasp & a hornet... What IS the distinction between a wasp & a hornet? And Please don't tell me their size.
You say there are gentle giants, I beg to differ. I don’t bother their stupid asses and I’m sitting on the screened in porch where there may be a little cracks here in there but these suckers keep coming in and coming at me as I wanted him dead this is sickening , And did I forget to mention it’s at night and I really don’t have a lot of light on to attract them in, why do all bees and stuff to sleep at night except these stupid freaking things?
Have you ever tried to extend the life of the male bees? Nature's a bit cruel to starve these gentle guys off. I know that wasps and yellow jackets have male care takers, I lack the information as to what happens to them during fall. Amazing video and footage!
Love your post man very informative I have 2 1/2 a res that has alot of places for Hornets and I see them all thanks for the info I have five big in ground yellow jackets nest I've been thinking about viding them as I dispatch them I'm in ohio and I was thinking about your new hive you built, i would really like to communicate with you for this will be 😅 my first attempt @ hieving 🤔🤔,, anyway love your content pls give more you teach me alot.😔
What about cicada killer wasps? Could you do a video on those? (my family calls them bell hornets) I swear those guys really are the size of a finger: (not that I've seen them very well -- too busy being terrified and legally blind. :( )
We had one Asian hornet last year. My wife who grew up in Europe agreed that it was not a European hornet. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of it, fortunately I have not seen one this year. I'm still looking for a good way to get rid of the bald face hornets that are attacking my honey bees.
To be honest I don't think that they're that much bigger. I spoke to people who have said they have massively exaggerated the size of Asian giant hornets. They're basically just 35 to 45 mm on average. Not that big... Just like the Frederick said they just bigger than the other insects. And that's because the ones out 45 mm are actually genuine Queens. Apparently Asian giant hornets have multiple Queen workers along with female workers. European Hornet's have female workers but only have one Queen. She's the biggest. I think there's cases of European hornet Queen's matching the size of Asian giant hornet Queens. It's just really strange that Asian ones have multiple Queens and have Queen's that actually work.
Very nice, my friend Fred. Always learn something from you. When my hives were being robbed after the tragic melt-out, many tarantula hawk wasps were there getting all they could as well. I was seeing five different species of hornets/wasps, but unfortunately, I was so devastated by the loss of my girls that I failed to document it. I find it interesting to think about God using hornets to fight for him in the Bible: And I will send s before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee. Moreover the LORD thy God will send the among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed. And I sent the before you, which drave them out from before you, the two kings of the Amorites; not with thy sword, nor with thy bow. No human could have stood against that enemy!
Ugh I hate all the wasps. Bunch of jerks. Forget about trying to sip a can of soda this time of year, they will swarm it. Or if you’re out somewhere at a park and walk past a trash can and they’re all over it, then you have perfume on and they come after you. I’ve never had a hornet harass me, fortunately I haven’t had a nest near enough my house to be an issue.
Got stung just below my kneecap a week ago by a European hornet. I cursed a lot, but we kind of ran into each other. We have had a lot more than in previous years. There was one on my hummingbird feeder this AM.
I'm very impressed with the latest information about these and what they do you are not like coyote Peterson or Jack world of wildlife who talks about respect the animal and kissing it or trying to get stung by the insects. You were more informative to show wasps and hornets drinking together without being stung or fighting one another. You show the right way to look at animals in the wild, most of these young people would likely walk into a nest and mess the nest and get stung numerous times before it too late. They are scouts watching the nest, young people find out the hard way in hospitals. 📺👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Yellow jackets and stink bugs can both go! This time of year is terrible for those two. Also we destroyed two smaller bald faced hornet nests on our garage while they were small. Those are bad and they will swarm you at night too.
I don't think I've ever seen any European hornets in my area of NY. We have lots of cicada killers and some yellow jackets. Bumblebees, cute and furry, are very common here as well. Asian giant hornets all seem to have a bright orange face, which is a distinguishing feature.
About hornets and light: I have made the experience that they don`t care about light right up until some time in august. I remember having all windows wide open every night all summer with all lights on and no hornets. Until suddenly one evening in august the whole room was filled with hornets, no exaggeration. The hornets must have been there before and didn`t care about light. But suddenly in august they care. something changes and I don`t know what. In that particular case we had a hornet nest behind wooden roof structure, nice and dry as they like it, 60cm above our windows. We did not know until they suddenly filled the whole room being attracted to light, that`s when we went searching for their nest. By august the nest has been there for a while without bothering us, without us noticing at all. Obviously we kept the windows closed after that experience and they bump themselves at the windows in huge numbers. (And by august it is only weeks before frost takes them anyway, and they are protected by las, so we kept them there and let them finish their year. But in winter we went and closed the gap they probably used to enter and all good, no more hornets the years after) I have tried to research this before. I find the mentioning that they are attracted to light. I did not find mentining about the timing thereof and why suddenly. I would like to know what changes for them that they don`t care about light until suddenly they all do and all at the same time. I have speculated that maybe in august their numbers of individuals is so huge that it is then they start to fly at night. Maybe they do not before, I don`t know. Or maybe foraging patterns change, I don`t know. I did find forum posts where people asked the internet about this phenomena because they were scared, it is very scary to have hornets bumping at your closed windows and hovering outside of them. And it is scary to find so many of them in one lightfilled room all of a sudden. All forum posts or questions asked that I came across were from the month of august throught the years. I did search in 3 european languages. I have experienced it myself 2 times in different houses both in Germany.
I had a colony of European hornets in an unused top bar hive last season right in my bee yard. It grew from the size of a half dollar to bigger than two basketballs. They never really bothered me or my bees much. They did seem to keep the yellow jacket population down. I used to watch them bring decapitated yjs and baldface hornets home all day.
Vespa mandarinia... "The Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) or northern giant hornet,[2][3] including the color form referred to as the Japanese giant hornet,[4][5] is the world's largest hornet. It is native to temperate and tropical East Asia, South Asia, Mainland Southeast Asia, and parts of the Russian Far East. It was also found in the Pacific Northwest of North America in late 2019[6][7] with a few more additional sightings in 2020,[8][9] and nests found in 2021,[10][11] prompting concern that it could become an invasive species.[12][Ala 1] However, by the end of the season in November 2022, there were no confirmed sightings in North America at all,[13] suggesting they may have been eradicated in that region.[14]"
We have here a ground hornet bout 2 to 3 inches dark in color aggressive will come after u it's a different hornet will also dig in ur outside planters when disturbed they come out
@@FrederickDunn No stress. Only meant the european wasp. Vespula germanica. No Sighting of Vespa mandarina in Brooklyn from me. Saw Vespa mandarinia in hangzhou. Terrifying its size. Feels very Jurassic park
facebook.com/WAStateDeptAg/
Thank you for that update Gary! Very important to keep an eye on their advancement.
Beautiful shots of all the different bees, wasps, and hornets! Very interesting to just watch them so close and detailed. Thanks!
As usual, the media comes in to push hysteria and shock. I see these guys occasionally in my area and had a hunch that everyone saying they saw a "murder hornet" was just seeing a normal species of the region.
Vespa Crabro is an amazing hornet, they are surprisingly gentle and shy.
The bald faced hornet is another favorite of mine, they are a yellowjacket killer.
True :)
Beautiful videography (as ever), and extremely educational.
Thank you for such a valuable resource to point people towards to prevent undue panic, use of poisons, and other unwise acts.
Many years ago when I was a kid I found an European Hornets nest. It was located in a neighbors yard in an old bird house that the bottom had fallen out of. It wasn't a large nest but it was interesting to watch. On yellow jackets... my hive is situated on the second floor deck of my garage/carriage house. When I observe it I always take a badminton racket with me. When new bees are taking first flights or tired foragers return if they miss the landing board and land on the deck (which is a flat roof) yellow jackets are on them in seconds. They will kill them and fly off with the "good bits" in a minute. I'm an Urban beekeeper and yellow jackets are at their worst now. Traps and the badminton racket don't really make a dent. But the racket does give me a little pleasure!
Thanks for making the video and clarifying the differences.
We have the European Hornets here in Virginia, they come out mostly at night for some reason.
They don't seem to bother the bees and will help clean the honey off the supers when I put them at the feeding station.
Thank you for this! My dad had one of the European Hornet on his porch many years ago. He thought it was hybrid between a wasp/ yellow jacket. He grew up in the hills of NC and never saw anything like it in his 92 yrs.
Mr. Dunn, this was undoubtedly one of the better videos I’ve seen on the subject!! Thank you for your fine camera work and voice-over narrative. The more I learn about these creatures, the more I know how to respond to them. I sincerely try to keep “killing” off my list. Certainly with honeybees, and hopefully with yellowjackets and hornets, too. Another of my favorite channels, Hornet King, has a re-homed European Hornet nest living in a box, mounted inside his shed. He’s also got several re-homed bald-faced hornet nests around his property. Like you, he works hard to educate his viewers, and I appreciate it!! All the best, my friend.
Thank you so much Doug! Wow, he re-hived bald faced hornets? I've never been successful with that species. Nice to know.
I find these wasp tutorials really interesting. Thank you for sharing 🤗
Glad you like them!
@@FrederickDunn 😁👍
Also these videos have helped me get over my fear of many wasps. I’m not afraid of honey bees at all anymore!
bees and hornets look so cool to me. The colors they have also are really nice.
I recently learned that hornet/wasp species predate honeybees, which didn't evolve until later.
@@Leelz247 That is a cool fact :)
Check out the color of an executioner wasp.
Fred, you have "out-Dunn" yourself! 😀 Pretty neat watching all three lined up like that. 👍
HI Dan!!! yes, I was so excited when they did that line-up and hoped they wouldn't fly away before I could capture it! One of those "moments" we have no control over :)
It was a picture perfect moment. Wow!! Can you make a still from that? A great education tool. Now to find out more about wasps and or hornets found in Australia!
13:57 that is a pretty cool shot. nicely done.
Thank you!!!!
Mr Dunn is a great regisor but he also has the best actors .
Fred, I can't thank you enough for all of your time and efforts. Simply brilliant work Sir.
Thank you so much Blake!!!
Thank you again for yet another beautifully shot macro video.
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Fred, great content as always. Hope you're keeping well
Here in Europe we find them incredibly gentle and peaceful, they are not even interested in people seriously.
Thanks. It was very interesting. Loved the close up video.
Glad you enjoyed it
We have the hormets here in Holland. They are protected by law. (In Germany even more).
I could touch them while flying, but I didn't dare take her by the thorax (yet) They are great.
In Romania they are also protected by law and probably in all the EU.
You shouldn't take the hornet by the thorax unless you want to get stung. They are very gentle but getting trapped is one of the things that makes them defensive.
@@mihaiilie8808 In Greece they don't, but i have to say that may the distribution maps not show them in southern Greece but they exist, I have found three nests in peloponnese (close to the tripoli city), two nests this year and one back in 2015.
They are protected by law in most of Europe.
They were actually considered an extinct species in Norway for a long time, but they have started to return (albeit very slowly)
Wow!!! Another amazing video Fred!
Thank you Bill! Always great to see your comment!
Dear Mr. Dunn, I confess that I am torn between sending you a note or not. But this time I decided on the former, because , in this episode, I clearly learned the distinctions among bees, hornets, and wasps. Your lesson was greatly enhanced by your superb close-up photography. Also, thank you for pointing out the various parts of these creatures’ anatomy. I have taken enough of your time. I am very appreciative of all you doing for us your avid followers. Sincerely, Larry Clarence Lewis, Canada.
Thank you so much Larry.
Now you have the perfect bait for a yellow jacket trap.
Very educational thank you for sharing
7:48 *Fredrick starts talking about their legs and then as if right on Q the bee lifts its leg up and shows it to the camera*
We had some European Hornets in my attic (Maryland) and I was in awe of the sheer size of them. I was pleasantly surprised by how docile/non aggresive they seemed.
Sadly mine arnt the same.... all those apples and pears.... yet they murdered many butterflies and horseflies I liked.... -ZACH also is in maryland
I've always liked that German website that talks about the European hornet, and my guess is you've seen it too. According to that site many beekeepers in Europe will actually encourage these gals to set up nests because they prey on wax moths. There's a section of that site which acknowledges that the Asian hornet, Vespa Velutina, is a much bigger threat to bees.
Hi Frederick. Great post. I saw the wasps feeding on another one of your posts. I am petrified of wasps but love to learn about them. Scary wasp post but good info. Do you know if there are giant Asian hornets in the U.K.? 👏👏👏😁👍
There aren't any Asian Giant Hornets in the UK, nor in Europe as a whole. The smaller (non-giant) Asian Hornet is an invasive species in France, but it's slightly smaller than the native European Hornet shown in this video. The Asian Hornet has been spotted a handful of times in the UK, but is not considered to have established itself there.
amaureaLua Thank you so much for your help. I am terrified of wasps so 3.5 Eastern European wasp is huge for me. 😵If I see one you won’t see me for dust😳😁
Thank you for sharing, beautiful video!
In middle school, an underground yellow jacket nest almost got me. I was cleaning a fire pit, pulled up some weeds, and they started spewing out. If I hadn't been stung by a singular yellow jacket the week before, I don't think I would've recognized them or understood the danger I was in. Yellow jackets still scare me to this day.
Sorry for that terrible, yet all too common, first experience.
Thanks, Fred for the pertinent info...pretty entertaining as well.
Glad you enjoyed it
Great footage mate. Nice one.
Glad you enjoyed it
13:53 Is Dolichovespula Not Dolo Kaspuna What's That
We got Vespa Crabro (Geithams) here in Norway, scary yes. But much calmer.
Isn't it still super rare, though? It was gone for 100 years, and has just recently started reestablishing itself. I've never seen one myself, so I appreciate these videos.
@@amaureaLua Yes, it is very rare. It's only been encountered in the southernmost parts of the country.
A few years ago, the hornets started coming back, although only in the south. In the north, it is too cold for the hornets. But we have different species of yellowjackets living up here though, one of which that has a similar coloration to the hornets, but is 1/3 the size of one.
How do you get those closups?
May I ask what camera and lens you are using?
Nikon 105 f/2.8 macro lens.
I had one of those hornets fly into my apartment. Give you a heart attack. Living close to the desert I would get Vinagaroons. Those guys are out of a Ridley Scott movie.
wow!
@@FrederickDunn They are members of "Whip Scorpions" . This reminds me. Do you have trouble with spiders and scorpions (I'm sure you don't have scorpions) messing with the bees?
Bald faced hornets are the worst of the worst. They really earn the name "a-holes with wings."
Lots of nick-names for those rascals! I've had serious run-ins with them in the past.
@@FrederickDunn Aren't Bald-faced Hornets a type of Yellowjacket technically?
@@FrederickDunn White-assed wasp is the preferred name here hah.
Very useful, excellent quality; thank you very much!
Glad it was helpful!
Fred, I remember you mentioning in another video that the water was black with the spirulina in it: I wonder if the honeybees aversion could have something to do with that? Just a thought that popped in my head.
Nice thought, but the bees are still finding what they need with plenty of goldenrod and asters around. I expect the honey bees to mob these feeders within the next week.
That's a very good point! Lots traffic in and out from my hives right now, of course, I'm in Lexington, KY, so I expect it for at least a few more weeks here.
This Video was Sooooo Awesome! Love the part when the 3 lined up together. The closeups are Absolutely Amazing and the Spirulina being loved by these wasps and hornets are like whoa! This revalation along with the light you mentioned placed at least 75 feet away from your Apiary could really help out our bees 🐝. What would be the solution for the "meat" requirement of the wasps & hornets brood? The light would help attract some, but what else could we do to keep the girls off the menu?
This time of year, they all ingest syrup/sugar/carbs.... a few still need the meat for some late season brood. Most of the hive attacks are for the honey, so this is a huge help. I refilled all of the Spirulina drinkers this morning... I'm hoping it also works to draw off the bees and occupy them rather than robbing each other!
Good information on this video. Wanted to get your thoughts on a topic I've asked on other channels. If the Asian Hornets were to encounter the European type---which of the two would wipe the other out? I've been told that mandarinas would prevail but is that possible since crabro has been here much longer, has adapted to this ecosystem and has more colonies?
Hello, well, Vespa Mandarinia would make short work of the Vespa Crabro hornets. They are not a close matchup, and if mandarinia got a foot- hold here, they would likely displace crabro where they overlap. I hope that we don't get to observe that contest, and that what they have done so far will continue. Mandarinia is at an entirely different level which is why the response to its presence in the U.S. was so intense.
Thanks for the video Mr Dunn,,, Just watched A Video Differentiating these Two,,,On Brave Wilderness,,With Coyote Peterson,, Last night,,I think they also take Sap from some tree?,, Can't remember exactly which One..🇱🇨🖤👊🏿👍🏿
What a great helpful video this is Fred that other guy did make a follow up video but I don’t think he changed much in the first one or took it down
Thanks Robert! Well, I've done my part to hopefully help calm some people who want to learn :)
Thanks Fred! Very educational. Does the Ball Face Hornet and the European Hornet both make a cone shaped paper nest?
Hi Don, the Bald Faced hornets make a large paper nest that is exposed to the weather and have brood "umbrellas" on a central column and then all covered with an outer paper nest with several entrances. The European Hornets also make the paper nests with hexagonal cells, but construct them in another shelter that already exists, much like bees finding a home in a cavity.
Fred, I don’t know much about hornets. The only ones that I’ve ever seen in AL were in a pointed cone shaped made from the paper like substance. The top is normally attached to a tree limb or under the overhang of a roof sometimes a house. They have one entrance normally a couple of inches from the bottom. In my younger years I saw plenty of the in Southwest AL where I hunted. They were mean and very defensive and they had a pretty mean sting so when I saw a nest I kept my distance and I still do. I don’t mind a honey bee sting, I guess I’ve had so many I’m immune to them now. Thanks for the excellent video and the info.
Most people have no clue what is what when it comes to bees, wasp and hornets. Shame too. But I don’t blame them, I blame our education system. They are all here for a reason. Learn before you just kill.
👍
Great footage Fred! What makes a hornet a hornet and a wasp a wasp? They all seem to basically bee the same...
www.diffen.com/difference/Hornet_vs_Wasp
That was fascinating! Thanks
You're welcome!
Amazing footage hope this helps people to identify the right thing.
Bald faced hornet, or white faced hornet we had a volleyball sized nest. They got me while I was trimming the bush they were in. I showed my wife your video you did a while back, because I was going to take care of it... with propane and my 100,000 btu flame thrower. $150 later the exterminator removed it. Good thing, they had reinforcements coming in from the neighbors yards around me. It was hot here in Buffalo this summer, so the Yellow jackets and bald faced hornets seemed to be everywhere. Thanks for the explanation, next time I hear a flying chainsaw I'll know it was just a European Hornet.
Awesome photography!
Mortified! How I felt when I witnessed a European Hornet take down a Yellow Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly that was nectaring on beautiful phlox right in front of me. The Hornet buzzed and rammed the Butterfly off the flower with such speed and force, the Butterfly was stunned and tumbled to the ground whereupon the hornet lands, chomps off the head of the butterfly and flies off with the rest. No wonder my butterfly numbers were down this year. Also, I have seen praying mantis, wasps and yellow jackets eat the eggs of butterflies. Thanks for informative and interesting content. (shakes fist) Fie the scourge! LOL
My praying Mantis "Mildred" actually ate one of these last year. A grizzly event to see a large mantis eating the face of a still kicking hornet.
@@FrederickDunn Doesn't Mildred eat your honeybees?
How can you tell the difference between killer bees and their queens verses the regular bees?
Visually that's almost impossible, it really comes down to genetic sequencing, and of course, their overly defensive behavior.
Excellent video
Thank you very much!
You're very well informed. Have you studied entomology?
Same problem here despite being in Europe, you know, the place the European Hornet comes from... anyone seens one "oh I saw an asian hornet, must kill everything..."
We have an ivy bush, this time of year it's putting out huge nectar loads and *hums* with insect life, flies, bees, the lot. And (european) hornets hunting. Actually, they're *really* bad at it. The target fly just changes direction or ducks behind a leaf, the hornet crashes into the leaf, drops a foot or two before recovering, and starts over... I've watched for hours, rarely see a "catch".
Most years a queen starts a nest in our porch. We just knock it down whilst it's only an inch or so across and she goes and starts again somewhere else.
Btw at every hornet video has your comment 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻✌🏻
Oh really? (';')( ';')... where?
Frederick Dunn I was doing research on wasps because I want to find out what I have in my vines , I had four nests in little birds feeders and bird houses which my wife hanged, it did really helped no more little flys this year . Lots of videos I watched I saw your comment, one example was a women by the vineyard explaining the pro and cons of a paper wasp,sorry even my RUclips history doesn’t remember what I watched,thank you for the content you do ,really enjoyed 🐝
Cool video
Excellent job, very informative. I am near the area where the giant Asian hornets have been found. The dept of Ag has been overwealmed with mistaken id's.
The yellowjackets have been awful the last 2 years , bald faced hornets not as bad..
I feel that a big part of my winter loss was due to the the stress that the yellow jackets caused on the honeybees. The constant harrasment lasted all summer, like thugs hanging out at the front door
No doubt that Yellow Jackets are always pinging hive entrances and looking for back doors or upper less guarded points of entry. They fly out colder than the honey bees, so early mornings are interesting to say the least.
Hello, Frederick. I'm writting from Northern Spain, where we have a lot of Vespa crabro. I like them, because they are beautiful. But in the last two years the have become very widespread around my home and this spring they are visiting my balcony a lot of times in the daytime. I thought it can be the colours of the balcony, as I have known that they like (as other insects) yellow and white colours. But I can't paint again the walls of another colour. Do you know some natural or artificial deterrent to European hornets? Because I have an old person living with me and I would like to get into the balcony with some security. Notice that I know that they are quiet gentle and pacific, but for some people the are quiet scary. Thank you and have a nice weekend, your channel is very interesting.
You could hang one of those fake wasp nests to see if that visual presence may invite them to move along? I haven't tried that myself, but many do say it works.
@@FrederickDunn thank you so much, I will try that
Here in france we have a big problem with the vespa velutina,
These days my hives are under pressure ..the bees can't go outside and are seaged ...no pollen is coming in ...
An unfortunate challenge for sure!
every year we have European hornets in the garden. By knowing each other and leaving them alone (we even give them water and sugar in front of the nest), they are very friendly. However, if you come across their nest in the woods for example, beware, they can be very dangerous when defending it.
Another advantage is that we don't have any wasps or mosquitoes and other similar insects in the garden.
I starting using syrup with essential oil/soy lecithin to spray down my hive recently instead of smoke. Thanks for the pointer. However, I noticed after 2nd round of treating with Mite Away Quick Strips that the spraying attracted wasps by the hundreds and honeybee robbers to that hive. As a result I had to put the entrance reducer onboard. (I went and got copper scrubbing pads per your earlier suggestion and will replace today). As a test I sprayed down the outer walls of the empty hive next to it. Wasps went there by the hundreds as well. Have you noticed it attracts robbers?
This time of year, I don't use the syrup spray when working the hives, I've switched to smoke due to low temps.
Frederick Dunn
VERY VERY NICE
The European hornet is rather common here in Sweden. We call them Bålgeting! They sound different and in my 54-year of a life, I have never have an issue with one. Exept when their was a nest in the ceiling of the copy machine room at work. I refused to get in there, They crawled all over the floor but didnt hurt anyone, you are not supposed to kill them, they take other wasps and evil bugs :) I am frightened of wasps but I ve been learned that these ”guys” are friendly if you dont get to close to their nest. I think Ive got a nest in my wall close to my bedroom window because I sometimes hear their dark buzzing sound outside it. When I had the net in the window (when it was hot outside) one was there often, maybe I smell sweet 😂 If a wasp comes inside I run out (don’t dare to kill it), if a bålgeting comes inside, I try to let it out, not as frightened as if it was a wasp. Mostly scared the cats will try to eat them! I am not afraid of Bumble bees or bees! They look nicer. Fluffy dudes . But the hornets can live in my wall, if they want, as long as they dont make a problem. I respect them highly though!. But I am not sure they live there, can be nearby in the woods or in some tree with a whole. Guess they can travel far, thanks for your educational videos,
What's the difference between a wasp and a hornet?
Wasps and hornets are both stinging insects that are closely related to bees. However, there are some key differences between the two groups.
Size
Hornets are generally larger than wasps. The largest hornet species, the Asian giant hornet, can grow up to 2 inches long. The largest wasp species, the giant paper wasp, is only about 1.5 inches long.
Coloration
Hornets are typically yellow and black striped, while wasps can have a variety of colors, including black, red, brown, or even blue.
Nests
Hornets build larger nests than wasps. Hornet nests can be up to the size of a basketball, while wasp nests are typically only about the size of a grapefruit.
Aggressiveness
Hornets are generally more aggressive than wasps. They are more likely to sting if they feel threatened.
Venom
The venom of hornets is more potent than the venom of wasps. However, the severity of a sting depends on a number of factors, including the size of the insect, the number of stings, and the individual's allergic reaction.
So, why is the bald faced hornet not actually a hornet?
@@joer9323 That's just the common name, it has many names but is just a wasp, not a true hornet.
Beautiful close up video! And not just fear Fred, but ignorance is the cause of death by mistaken identity. Question if I may. Since you appear to be a rather educated man. How does one make the distinction between a wasp & a hornet... What IS the distinction between a wasp & a hornet? And Please don't tell me their size.
www.diffen.com/difference/Hornet_vs_Wasp
Without these gals, we would have a huge bug problem.
You say there are gentle giants, I beg to differ. I don’t bother their stupid asses and I’m sitting on the screened in porch where there may be a little cracks here in there but these suckers keep coming in and coming at me as I wanted him dead this is sickening , And did I forget to mention it’s at night and I really don’t have a lot of light on to attract them in, why do all bees and stuff to sleep at night except these stupid freaking things?
They are capable of hunting at night. I'd rather see these than bald-faced hornets.
Have you ever tried to extend the life of the male bees? Nature's a bit cruel to starve these gentle guys off.
I know that wasps and yellow jackets have male care takers, I lack the information as to what happens to them during fall.
Amazing video and footage!
No reason to attempt to extend the life of the drones... I let the bees control that aspect.
I hate wasps and hornets but this video, shows the beauty of them and is very informative too.
Wow, great video! Thanks.
Glad you liked it!
Love your post man very informative I have 2 1/2 a res that has alot of places for Hornets and I see them all thanks for the info I have five big in ground yellow jackets nest I've been thinking about viding them as I dispatch them I'm in ohio and I was thinking about your new hive you built, i would really like to communicate with you for this will be 😅 my first attempt @ hieving 🤔🤔,, anyway love your content pls give more you teach me alot.😔
What about cicada killer wasps? Could you do a video on those? (my family calls them bell hornets) I swear those guys really are the size of a finger: (not that I've seen them very well -- too busy being terrified and legally blind. :( )
WE dont' have them here.
We had one Asian hornet last year. My wife who grew up in Europe agreed that it was not a European hornet. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of it, fortunately I have not seen one this year. I'm still looking for a good way to get rid of the bald face hornets that are attacking my honey bees.
Where did you see the hornet? What part of the country?
I laughed when u said you sipped up a yellow jacket that shows you those guys are just different assholes man 😂 great vid!
Gentle giants ❤️
Needs a picture/comparison to the Asian Giant Hornet. I'm a visual person.
If I had a specimen, I'd show it to you :)
To be honest I don't think that they're that much bigger. I spoke to people who have said they have massively exaggerated the size of Asian giant hornets. They're basically just 35 to 45 mm on average. Not that big... Just like the Frederick said they just bigger than the other insects. And that's because the ones out 45 mm are actually genuine Queens. Apparently Asian giant hornets have multiple Queen workers along with female workers. European Hornet's have female workers but only have one Queen. She's the biggest. I think there's cases of European hornet Queen's matching the size of Asian giant hornet Queens. It's just really strange that Asian ones have multiple Queens and have Queen's that actually work.
European hornet is the most beautiful hornet. :)
Very nice, my friend Fred. Always learn something from you. When my hives were being robbed after the tragic melt-out, many tarantula hawk wasps were there getting all they could as well. I was seeing five different species of hornets/wasps, but unfortunately, I was so devastated by the loss of my girls that I failed to document it.
I find it interesting to think about God using hornets to fight for him in the Bible:
And I will send s before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee. Moreover the LORD thy God will send the among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed. And I sent the before you, which drave them out from before you, the two kings of the Amorites; not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.
No human could have stood against that enemy!
Ugh I hate all the wasps. Bunch of jerks. Forget about trying to sip a can of soda this time of year, they will swarm it. Or if you’re out somewhere at a park and walk past a trash can and they’re all over it, then you have perfume on and they come after you. I’ve never had a hornet harass me, fortunately I haven’t had a nest near enough my house to be an issue.
Got stung just below my kneecap a week ago by a European hornet. I cursed a lot, but we kind of ran into each other. We have had a lot more than in previous years. There was one on my hummingbird feeder this AM.
You can lower the levels in the hummingbird feeders so the wasp tongues can't reach the nectar :)
That is some dark syrup 😁 reminds me of the Mummy when that Yellowjacket is helicoptering on it
I'm very impressed with the latest information about these and what they do you are not like coyote Peterson or Jack world of wildlife who talks about respect the animal and kissing it or trying to get stung by the insects. You were more informative to show wasps and hornets drinking together without being stung or fighting one another. You show the right way to look at animals in the wild, most of these young people would likely walk into a nest and mess the nest and get stung numerous times before it too late. They are scouts watching the nest, young people find out the hard way in hospitals. 📺👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Yellow jackets and stink bugs can both go! This time of year is terrible for those two. Also we destroyed two smaller bald faced hornet nests on our garage while they were small. Those are bad and they will swarm you at night too.
I don't think I've ever seen any European hornets in my area of NY. We have lots of cicada killers and some yellow jackets. Bumblebees, cute and furry, are very common here as well.
Asian giant hornets all seem to have a bright orange face, which is a distinguishing feature.
You can actually hear them flying in. I've only observed 4 of them this year.
@@FrederickDunn where is the best place to look if I wanted to see vespa crabro?
I have caught 3 of these today in NJ
Dolichovespula maculata is actually in the yellowjacket family. Learned that from Hornet King
This Large Hornet is Vespa crabro. It's a true hornet. And the Bald Faced Hornets are in the yellowjacket family and are not "true hornets".
I like to call it the bald-faced wasp for that reason. The term is also partly inspired by the European custom of simply calling yellowjackets wasps.
We found them inside our lilac bush inside under bark
Yep I have them at my house in a lilac tree
We have the murder hornet here in British Columbia. I have yet to see one. Not really in a rush to either!
I hope they can get a handle on them.
About hornets and light:
I have made the experience that they don`t care about light right up until some time in august. I remember having all windows wide open every night all summer with all lights on and no hornets. Until suddenly one evening in august the whole room was filled with hornets, no exaggeration. The hornets must have been there before and didn`t care about light. But suddenly in august they care. something changes and I don`t know what.
In that particular case we had a hornet nest behind wooden roof structure, nice and dry as they like it, 60cm above our windows. We did not know until they suddenly filled the whole room being attracted to light, that`s when we went searching for their nest. By august the nest has been there for a while without bothering us, without us noticing at all. Obviously we kept the windows closed after that experience and they bump themselves at the windows in huge numbers.
(And by august it is only weeks before frost takes them anyway, and they are protected by las, so we kept them there and let them finish their year. But in winter we went and closed the gap they probably used to enter and all good, no more hornets the years after)
I have tried to research this before. I find the mentioning that they are attracted to light. I did not find mentining about the timing thereof and why suddenly. I would like to know what changes for them that they don`t care about light until suddenly they all do and all at the same time. I have speculated that maybe in august their numbers of individuals is so huge that it is then they start to fly at night. Maybe they do not before, I don`t know. Or maybe foraging patterns change, I don`t know.
I did find forum posts where people asked the internet about this phenomena because they were scared, it is very scary to have hornets bumping at your closed windows and hovering outside of them. And it is scary to find so many of them in one lightfilled room all of a sudden. All forum posts or questions asked that I came across were from the month of august throught the years. I did search in 3 european languages.
I have experienced it myself 2 times in different houses both in Germany.
Two Serious Inspiration to Create Those Motorcycles,,Vespa and Hornet,,😅😅🇱🇨👊🏿👍🏿🖤
I had a colony of European hornets in an unused top bar hive last season right in my bee yard. It grew from the size of a half dollar to bigger than two basketballs. They never really bothered me or my bees much. They did seem to keep the yellow jacket population down. I used to watch them bring decapitated yjs and baldface hornets home all day.
They definitely predate on yellowjackets and others. I wish you had made a video of that nest.
@@FrederickDunn I have a European hornet playlist.
European Hornets: ruclips.net/p/PLapr-Pp75iBHQR97Yz_sIdEcsPIikDYFw
A while ago I get sting from a wasp will am working on my bees .🙄
With your voice and videography who is not going to like hornets?
Vespa mandarina doesn't exist in europe though, right? Only vespa velutina, the lesser known asian hornet
Vespa mandarinia... "The Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) or northern giant hornet,[2][3] including the color form referred to as the Japanese giant hornet,[4][5] is the world's largest hornet. It is native to temperate and tropical East Asia, South Asia, Mainland Southeast Asia, and parts of the Russian Far East. It was also found in the Pacific Northwest of North America in late 2019[6][7] with a few more additional sightings in 2020,[8][9] and nests found in 2021,[10][11] prompting concern that it could become an invasive species.[12][Ala 1] However, by the end of the season in November 2022, there were no confirmed sightings in North America at all,[13] suggesting they may have been eradicated in that region.[14]"
We have here a ground hornet bout 2 to 3 inches dark in color aggressive will come after u it's a different hornet will also dig in ur outside planters when disturbed they come out
What part of the world are you in Donna?
@@FrederickDunn arkansas
@@FrederickDunn it's also humid climate even bumble bees are bigger
@@FrederickDunn that's what I was told they was they big black & mean
The spikes look like spurs on a rooster.
Murderlady is orange, the big yellow abdomen is european.
Saw one in brooklyn last week. Not thrilled.
Are you referring to Mandarinia? Did it actually show up in Brooklyn?
@@FrederickDunn No stress. Only meant the european wasp. Vespula germanica.
No Sighting of Vespa mandarina in Brooklyn from me.
Saw Vespa mandarinia in hangzhou. Terrifying its size. Feels very Jurassic park
I watched a very interesting video from a Japanese beekeeper dealing with Japanese hornet on youtube.
Definitely lots of interesting things going on in the world!