Some Things About Hornets!

Most of us who spend time outdoors have, at one time or another, been stung by a hornet. And it is quite the painful experience. Even so, their is a lot of interesting biology associated with hornets.

Bald-faced hornets, which construct those huge, paper nests high in trees, are not hornets; they are actually aerial wasps that belong to the yellow jacket subfamily. Rather than the typical yellow-and-black color scheme, bald-faced hornets are black with white markings. The only species of hornet found in Virginia is that big, orange, European hornet, which came over from Eurasia during the 1840s.

And as every kid who lives in rural America knows, bald-faced hornets are fierce protectors of their nests. Yet, these wasps are extremely beneficial. They patrol gardens for food in the form of insects - many of which are deemed pests. Houseflies, too, are prey. The hornet chews its captive into a pulp, delivers it back to the nest, and stores it in the pupal cells as a source of food for the emerging pupae.

By the end of summer the nest may contain over 1,000 adults - one queen, plus multiple workers and drones. The queen's primary role is reproduction. The workers are sterile females that build the nest, construct pupal cells, care for the eggs and pupae, and protect the nest from predators. Drones (the males) do not have stingers; their main function is to mate with the queen.

With the approach of winter the hornets eventually succumb to freeing temperatures - except for some newly-fertilized queens that depart the nest and search for secure sites (beneath loose strips of bark, tree cavities, and even underground) to spend the winter in diapause. These queens produce a natural antifreeze, called glycerol, that prevent their bodies from freezing. The following spring they emerge to start new colonies!

Folklore has it that the higher the hornet nests the deeper the winter snows!

Have a great day outdoors!

Mike Roberts