Hornet Control for Gloucester, Herefordshire, Monmouthshire and The Forest of Dean
Hornets
The Hornet is larger than the common wasp at 19-35mm in length, and is banded in yellow and brown.
The biology and life history are similar to wasps with only the young fertilised females surviving the winter in hibernation to emerge in the spring and form new colonies.
The emerging queen builds a series of cells (up to 50) out of chewed bark. The cells are arranged in horizontal layers named combs, each cell being vertical and closed at the top. An egg is then laid in each cell. After 5-8 days the egg hatches. This first generation of worker females will go on to undertake the day to day work of the nest, foraging, nest building.
Like the wasp the hornet can sting multiple times and there is the possibility of an extreme allergic reaction to the hornet venom in the form of an anaphylactic shock, which is extremely dangerous without medical attention.
