CLOSED: Huge Yellowjackets?

First time I have seen these at the cabin, they are about 1"+ in length and are eating the dickens out of our pears, both on and off the tree.

Another view

Most likely a European Hornet (Vespa crabro)
http://www.vespa-crabro.de/hornets.htm
http://bugguide.net/node/view/7230/bgimage

Thanks for the ID, thought it was a larger version of something I have seen. They sure do like those pears.

I agree .. that's what those big'um fellers are, alright. Luv the eye 'shape' on their heads!

Milan .. your first web link, is fantastic! Much valuable info there! Much appreciated ..

While these big fellers were visiting the hummer feeders, I could get unbelievably close to them. Jes no sudden movements. Had several to land on me, to check me out. As long as I stayed calm and still - they posed no threat and certainly never attempted to sting. Would like to've gotten pics with them on me - but found it jes a tad difficult a 'task' to try to pull off. The ol Coot was either never close-by, or simply couldn't get to me soon enuff to take the camera!

- Magpye

I have wondered for a couple years what has been eating those pears. Didn't think an animal was just taking one bit out of each and then the other day I happened to be in the right place at the right time and looked up and saw a whole bunch of them on a pear in our tree. Well, now I know.

From what I have heard, the European hornet is a surprisingly docile hornet. It is reported to not even be aggressive around its nest, which is very unusual for hornets and wasps. They also often fly at dusk or even at night.

I am surprised that they are eating your pears so much, haighr. Usually these wasps are very good insect predators, eating lots of caterpillars, grasshoppers, and other larger leaf-eating insects. Are they eating intact pears or are they eating overripe ones?

Usually these wasps live near woods, so it could be that they are lacking a "sugar" source for flying. Maybe the cabin needs more flowers around it - especially this late in the year there could be a lack of flowers available, especially if you had a dry year like we did here (we had almost no caterpillars this year due to unseasonable drought). White flowers especially seem to be attractive to wasps - but then again my bumble bees are really going for the dark purple Salvia this year. White, though, definitely seems to be a favorite most times.

Interesting info night-bloom. I don't have flower gardens at the cabin believe it or not. When we had the RU there in 2005 lots of friends planted some Iris and other things around, but most did not survive last winter. It is 100 acres of woodland and fields with the exception of that which we keep mowed around the pond and cabin.
They are eating the pears while still hard although they are semi sweet and still on the tree - there are only a few bees around the fallen pears, most of the eating is eating from the bottom of those still on the tree.
We have seen several large bees nests in the woods not sure if it is for these same european bees or not. We are not lacking in the wasp department and we have tons of those wood boring bees in the spring that dive bomb us around the shed.
These hornets don't appear aggressive, just hungry for the fruit.