My small balcony garden seems to be a favourite spot for wasps! On one side normal-sized wasps were building a nest and on the other side kung fu Airbus A380-800 sized wasps were building their nest. The kung fu wasps were frighteningly large and not scared of anything. I destroyed both the nests just now, but I am currently in defensive reconnaissance mode and too scared to venture out and have my morning tea

I think they are all away and will return later. In case the wasps read EF, I would like to apologize to them for destroying their nest, but it was for self-preservation reasons.

I wonder what a bite from the kung fu wasp would do to a normal human? Must be a large dose of venom? What about multiple bites

That would be multiple large doses of venom.

Were the big ones really wasps, or were they hornets?

Hornets ARE wasps!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornet

Tom

A bite from the kung fu wasp is no worse than a bite from a goat.

This post belongs in the Mod shakeup thread

Could it be Hornisse?
In that case, be aware that they are a protected species.

Just contact your commune, they will deal with them correctly and for free.

Tom

A representative from the wasps just told me to pass on the message that TTYL should be expecting a letter from their lawyers.

I already dealt with them, stick and wasp spray (smells of petrol).




Uhm, I am part of a protected species too Mine seemed bigger than Hornisse, is that possible? Doped up Hornisse?

No, not true, some have black (Afro-American) and asian pilots.

Sad, very sad.

Did you forget your morning coffee?

Tom

They were coming from work after sunset yesterday. I will ask them to identify themselves if I see them again They were like Cuban cigars with wings and yellow markings.

These "Murder Hornets" were getting a lot of Press last year when they were found in Washington State (they are native to Asia). Maybe they have made the trek to CH!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPdeqwKbTCI

I stepped on a nest of "Yellow Jackets" when I was a kid and have never forgotten the experience...

Who knows, but the wing sound is similar. You can notice the difference in wing sound between a normal wasp and a huge one.



Like a cat meow vs a Lion roar

They don't look that much bigger than the regular hornets we get all the time here, maybe +20% or so.

Personally I find the hornets much less annoying than the wasps - they're slower, louder and there are far less of them, and they seem to take the hint if you brush them away from something. The wasps can seem to be everywhere and are persistent buggers around food.

Maybe it's the Asian Hornet that has been spotted across Europe the past couple of years?

Sure. Then again, most wasps are nectar feeders, but European hornets are carnivorous.

Yep. Fine up to 50,000 euros in Germany, I can't find the Swiss version but I shudder to think what it could be. That, or CH laissez faire.

Then again, perhaps you are at the vanguard of an Asian invasion https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/asian-h...eneva/45940092

Used to be the fire brigade dealt with wasp nests, but no longer in our area. They ask you to use a contractor.

As any wild animal, they don't like smoke. Grill something and they're gone.

Sure, scientifically. And tomatoes and cucumber are fruit, bananas are herbs, and elephants are technically giant shrews. Anyway from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowjacket

Yellowjacket or yellow jacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genera Vespula and Dolichovespula. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries

So. to you!

Hornets remind me of B52 bombers.