My SIL gave us a new Hummingbird feeder yesterday. This morning I was looking through the storm door at it and noticed what I thought was a small moth on the side. I stepped out side to see and saw the biggest hornet ever. It's hinder parts look like a yellow jacket and the front had the coloring of a red hornet. His wings/// are grayish and almost as long as his body. Anyone know what kind it is????
Here's a photo.....
If nobody here knows, you might try the Bug ID forum
I went to the BugID forum as you suggested, but only SITEADMINS are allowed to start new threads on there. But, I think I've ID'd it......it looks like the European Hornet. I found it on the following thread.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=2710694
Are you sure you went to the right place? The bug ID forum is open to everyone http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/bugid/all/
Here is where I thought you wanted me to go.....
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/bfpics/all/
I went to the link you posted and asked the hornet question there.......THANKS.
Von
Oh, the place you went first was the Bug Files picture forum. The way things get there is if you submit a picture to Bug Files, then admins approve it and it shows up in that forum (just like how you submit pictures to Plant Files)
I have seen this same Hornet in my yard and I also wasn't sure what kind it was. ?
Lin
It looks like a Cicada Killer Wasp.They get up to 2 inches in size.The males cannot sting.The females can,but rarely do.They often make little mounds in the ground where they nest.They are scary looking,but usually have no interest in you unless you are aggresive to them.
Lynn
Ibrabec, as I was reading up on the European Hornet, the article said that the Cicada Killer Wasps look a lot like the European Hornet, but as the photo below shows, their markings are different.
Von
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada_killer
This message was edited Aug 23, 2008 11:39 PM
Yuu are correct.I have the cicada killers in my front yard and they look a lot like that last picture,only larger and even more colorful.
Lynn
Hornets, bees, wasps, Butterflies etc are all nectar feeding bugs and they are attrcted to the sweet water you have in your humming bird feeder, it is a natural thing for them to do and for folks who get scared of these large bugs, it is a price we pay for feeding the humming birds, unless you try swat and miss, they wont harm you in any way, in fact they will also help pollinate your garden flowers/veg. hope this helps. WeeNel.
In order to keep bugs and bees off your hummingbird feeder, make sure there's no nectar on the outside of the feeder. That's basically what draws the insects to it. I usually only see a bee every now and then. So I check to make sure there's no wetness on the feeder. I also have flowers nearby so that they have something else to go to.
