ommon wasp. When approached, European hornets can actually be seen to slowly crawl backwards and eventually flee, rather than attack. This can make it hard to remove hornets from indoors, if they happen to come in through an open window or door. While not aggressive when encountered far from the nest, multiple workers will vigorously defend the nest if provoked. Nests can be approached without provocation (by moving slowly and not breathing towards the nest) to about 20 inches. Nests are usually not a problem outside buildings, but because they drip feces, a bad smelling black liquid, nests inside sheds or walls can be a problem.
Unwarranted fear has often led to the destruction of nests, leading to the decline of the species, which is often locally threatened or even endangered. European hornets benefit from legal protection in some countries, notably Germany, where it has been illegal to kill a European hornet or nest since 1 January 1987, with a fine up to 50,000 Euros.
European hornets are attracted to lights at night, but are not attracted to human foods and food wastes. However, they can totally destroy fruits, such as apples, while the fruit is still on the tree. This is quite unlike the bald-faced hornet or other social wasps.
The Japanese Hornet. I have saved this beast for last since it is probably the most frightening of all the Hymenoptera. As its name implies it occurs mainly in Japan which is of course good for us since it is a treacherous and dangerous insect. It is quite large approaching the size of a thumb and by the way its sting, besides feeling like a hot nail driven into you, can also dissolve tissues of your thumb, actually any part of your body-ouch! Well it is gets worse. The sting-venom also contains an alarm pheromone that will incite mass attack from nearby hornets-hopefully not to a human. Unfortunately in many cases it is us as 40 to 70 people a year in Japan die from attack of these critters.
A Japanese Hornet.
As bad as this is for humans it is much worse for the European honeybee,