The hornet is the largest insect from the wasp family in Poland. There is a European hornet in our country, but recently an even more dangerous Asian hornet has arrived on our continent. What does the hornet look like? What to do when a hornet flies into the house? How do I get rid of it? What are the symptoms of a hornet sting? How do I remove a hornet's nest?

The hornetis a species of insect belonging to the family of the Vespidae. There is a European hornet in our country. However, in recent years, an even more dangerousAsian hornethas appeared in Europe, which is found in eastern Russia, South and Southeast Asia.

The hornet is very popular in Poland. It happens thatnestis established near areas inhabited by people. A sting of a hornet can be especially dangerous for people allergic to the venom of these insects.

Contents:

  1. Hornet - what does it look like?
  2. Hornet bite symptoms
  3. Hornet - how to remove a nest?
  4. Hornet - what to do when it flies home?
  5. Hornet and wasp - differences

Hornet - what does it look like?

Currently, as many as 26 species of hornets can be distinguished. European hornets (top photo), found in Poland, have a red-black head, while their abdomen is yellow with black stripes.

The hornet feeds on fruit, tree sap, and other insects (especially flies).

The color of hornets may change due to the region in which they occur, the stage of development and the sex of the individual. The length of the queen is about 25-35 mm, the male is 21-23 mm, and the workers are 17-24 mm.

Asian hornets are black with orange-yellow stripes. The body length is usually 2.5 to 4.5 cm (queens), the wingspan is 7.6 cm.

Among Asian hornets (and hornets in general),Japanese hornetstands out in size (photo below). It is the largest of all hornets, reaching even 5.5 cm in length and a wingspan of up to 6 cm.

It is most common in Japan, but can also be found in Central Asia, Central Africa and Southern Europe.

Hornet sting symptoms

Typical symptoms of a stingEuropean hornets are painful swelling and redness. In the case of people allergic to Hymenoptera venom, anaphylactic shock may occur, which may pose a threat to human he alth and life.

One hornet injects less than 0.2 mg of venom with each sting. It takes a few or a dozen stings to kill a person, as the lethal dose of the venom ranges from 10 to 90 mg per kilogram of the body.

The situation is different with the Asian hornet (Vespa mandarinia). His bite is compared to a hot nail driven into his leg.

Asian hornet (Vespa mandarinia japonica) stings kill about 40 people every year in Japan alone, mostly as a result of an allergic reaction.

The sting of an allergic person is definitely deadly, but even a he althy person can die from a neurotoxin called mandarotoxin (MDTX), as long as the amount of venom injected is sufficient.

How did the Asian hornet come to Europe? This insect species was brought to the port of Havre (France) in a Chinese porcelain container in 2004.

He has already mastered some regions in France and has now been spotted in Flanders (Audenarde), Belgium.

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See the gallery of 9 photos

Hornet - how to remove a nest?

The hornet's nest is easy to recognize. It resembles a large, paper block with an undefined shape. The sizes of the nests can be up to 50 cm in length and height and can accommodate up to 700 workers.

Hornets build nests from pulp, which is made by themselves from particles of decaying wood and saliva.

They are most often located in trees, hollows, attics, attics or cracks in the wall. In order to locate the nest, it is best to observe a single individual who will lead you to it.

Do not remove the hornet's nest on your own. It can be inhabited by several hundred hornets that can attack.

However, be very careful after locating the socket. When we spot hornets in the early spring, it is most likely a queen looking for a place to set up a nest. You can prevent the nest building by eliminating this individual.

However, if we notice more hornets in the summer, you can certainly expect a large, ready-made nest nearby.

In this case, you should report the case to the paid servicesresponsible for the elimination of hornet nests from the vicinity of houses and apartments. It is worth knowing that the cost of removing a hornet's nest by a professional company is PLN 100-350.

The fire brigade may be called only in the event of a threat to human life or in the case of a nest in the vicinity of public buildings.

Hornet's Nest

Hornet - what to do when it flies home?

First of all, don't make sudden movements or shout. This provokes the attack of hornets (on their own initiative, they are unlikely to sting). Go to another room and close the door.

If you decide to chase the hornets out of the house yourself, put on at least two layers (the hornet's sting is long), wrap a shawl around your neck, put something on your head. Avoid bright colors, the hornets can get mad.

Then open your window wide, perhaps he will leave your apartment by himself. You can try to chase him out, e.g. with a newspaper.

You can also use a hornet spray (you can buy it at DIY stores) or an electric rocket to fight insects.

Some people try to hit him, e.g. with a slipper, but for this method to work, you need to aim the first time and do it very decisively. A hornet that is attacked rather than hit will defend itself.

Hornet and wasp - differences

Hornets are commonly considered to be more dangerous than wasps mainly due to their larger size and the buzzing they cause when the wings move.

The hornet is less aggressive than the common wasp: when not provoked, it rarely stings.

Meanwhile, they are not more dangerous than wasps, because the sting of a person who does not have an allergic reaction does not pose a threat to life. Hornet venom is comparable to wasp and bee venom.

However, his sting is more painful than a wasp sting, as the hornet has a larger and more penetrating sting. In addition, the venom contains much larger amounts of toxins.

Hornets are also less aggressive than wasps and are more difficult to provoke to attack.

Wasp (hornet) and wasp (wasp)

Source: Youtube.com/NearbyWild

About the authorWeronika RumińskaA graduate of Polish philology with an editorial and publishing specialization at the University of Warsaw. She developed her interests related to the editor's work already during her master's studies, actively cooperating with Poradnikzdrowie.pl on the editorial path and social media. Privately, a lover of good crime fiction and horse riding.

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