On 29/08/2010 17:18, David Rance wrote:
On Fri, 27 Aug 2010, Phil Gurr wrote:

Over the last three days I've found three hornets, once in the bathroom,
then in the living room then one upstairs. Besides the mystery of how
they
got into the house I'm puzzled by why all three hornet just walked very
slowly along the floor and seemed almost in a daze. I flattened each
under
foot without them even attempting to fly away. Anyone else had any dozy
hornets? Why are they behaving like that? The ones I've encountered
occasionally outside seem anything but docile.

Well. bully for you, do you kill everything that you don't understand!

Sarcasm is not helpful when you feel you might be aggressed. I'm
certainly not going to hang around in the presence of a hornet to see if
your words are true!


I must admit, the guy put my back up from the first sentence. Not the
best way to promote his cause; especially since I'm very much an animal
and nature lover... I often catch bumblebees that have found themselves
indoors and escort them outside, similarly with spiders or other strange
beetles that somehow get in occasionally. However, with the reputation
hornets have I was taking no chances. However, having done a little
research on the internet since then, it seems the variety is the common
European Hornet and they are supposedly less aggressive than wasps; and
less aggressive than generally feared.

The are quite fascinating. I watched one land on the bay tree next to
their nest the other day. It was carrying a housefly. It tore its wings
off quite savagely then flew into the nest with it. I gather they eat
lots of houseflies.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.