As one of our most imposing and feared insects, the hornet (
Vespa crabro) carries quite a reputation as an insect to avoid. So imagine the surprise of your resident blogger when he noticed a king sized 3.5 cm specimen nonchalantly ambling across his shoulder as he sat on the sofa at home last night! I am not sure how you would react but after quickly running into the garden and jumping around a bit the stowaway launched idly away to patrol the nearby gardens.
But do they really deserve this fearsome reputation? Building their nests from chewed wood, they are true construction artisans and although will sting if provoked, they will generally avoid conflict. They also predate heavily on the common wasp (
Vespula vulgaris), which are far more numerous and aggressive - so perhaps the hornet doesn't deserve its reputation after all.
But if one lands on your shoulder, I'll let you decide!
James
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