Hornets.....

One stung me last week... (it wasn't its fault—they're actually quite peaceful)...
Now I know where they live, too... In our attic, and there are two big nests. Now I really have to go get some fly screens for the windows.
Hornets are great at getting rid of flies and gnats. And as long as you keep a safe distance from the nest and don’t stand right in their flight path, nothing will happen. (Unless you reach for the laundry spray bottle right where the hornet is perched.)
Only the roofers can’t get up there yet—they should have checked the roof trusses. Now they’ll have to “wait” until the first frost. 

I’m terrified of hornets themselves. For years, they used to come into our apartment. Back then, we had a dog and a cat. They were even more terrified than I was.

Then we had a nest in the drying room.



I went downstairs several times to take photos until the exterminator removed it.





Fortunately, we’ve had peace ever since.

They’re actually really peaceful. Of course, as long as you don’t “threaten” them. Around here, the exterminator wouldn’t remove them—they’re a protected species, and they can only be removed if they’ve built nests in living spaces or similar areas. They live in our attic, where something gets put up there every few months… Two years ago, we had a nest that was a good meter long by the end of the season..... Their entry point is under the gutter, on the second floor, so to speak....
We have fly screens installed, so it’s no big deal. Hornets fly at night, too, so leaving windows open in the evening or at night without protection would be a bad idea....
Starting next year, they’ll “unfortunately” have to find somewhere else—our little house is getting a new roof, so they won’t be able to get in anymore.... 

The other day, we had a hornet in our apartment.
I think these insects are beautiful. I used to be afraid of them, but back then there was still that old wives’ tale that three hornet stings can kill a horse. Fortunately, people are a bit more informed these days.
Hornets are peaceful—they’re just loud. :D
The other day, I very carefully guided the hornet onto an orchid stake that happened to be lying on the windowsill and then let it fly back out onto the balcony.

By the way (I have to be a know-it-all again...), wasps are generally said to be somewhat aggressive. I read a few weeks ago that this isn’t true at all.
Wasps have extremely poor eyesight, which is why they fly so close to you. We interpret this as aggression, but that’s not the case at all.
Ever since I learned that, I’ve been much more relaxed around wasps. :D

Is there a way to relocate the hornets? I know this is possible with bees and such—when their nests are in inconvenient places, you can have a beekeeper or other organizations relocate them.

I have a special story involving a hornet. It was back at my child’s elementary school graduation party. We parents were all sitting outside while the kids played. Suddenly, a mother came up to me and asked what kind of beautiful brooch I had on my shirt. The “brooch” turned out to be a hornet, sitting calmly on my shirt. Well, for the rest of the afternoon, I just sat quietly in my spot, while the other parents brought me coffee and cake, so this pretty creature wouldn’t be startled. It was also a chance to see it up close.

I always find it fascinating when wasps visit us and go after our dinner. I usually put slices of sausage and cheese on a plate, and then a wasp will gnaw at a slice of sausage and try to carry the pieces away. Sometimes the pieces are so big that they have trouble flying with them.

What you’re writing here is really interesting. Very exciting! I didn’t know that wasps have poor eyesight, either. We always manage to chase them away really well with incense sticks, for example when we’re eating outside. It works great.

Hornets build huge nests—it’s really impressive. Yeah, there’s really no need to be afraid of them if you leave them alone, especially near their nests.

Thanks for the informative posts.

@Kerstin
A pest control expert will know what to do—they’ll fog the area and then relocate the insects.

I used to have a garden, and we were never alone there when we had something to eat. We’d always put a little piece of sausage or cheese out for the wasps, and then we could watch as they literally sawed off the little pieces and flew away with them.
It was fascinating, and besides, we got to eat in peace. :D

I didn’t know that wasps have poor eyesight either…
When “our” wasps build a nest somewhere, they often sit with us on the patio and gnaw on the wood… You can actually hear them taking bits away or nibbling. Then they fly off briefly and come back again.
The “problem” is that my husband has an allergic reaction to a sting. So we have to be a little careful. I check their usual hiding spots when the time starts to get close and they begin building nests—in the garages or the woodshed, places where we’re usually pretty active. Otherwise, they have plenty of places around here to build in peace.