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Post by 05wrangler on Aug 30, 2007 16:39:56 GMT -5
Greetings fellas -
Do you all know what a horse hornet is? They are the LARGE brown and yellow hornets that are mainly found in the woods and are attracted to light at night. If you are a southern Marylander, you should be familiar with horse hornets.
These dudes get huge and I have heard horror stories about their stings. I guess they are like any other bee to where if you leave them alone you'll be fine...... but I'm always worried I will come across a nest in the woods. They build them in the base of trees most of the time and are hard to spot the nest until your right up on it. Anyway my property seems to be loaded with them so I figured I'd post about them.
Any of you all have an experience with them?
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Post by osprey on Aug 30, 2007 16:47:47 GMT -5
Just call 'em ground hornets over here, and I've seen them before. Always fun to run over a nest with the tractor/chopper cutting CRP grass in the fields. YOW!!!
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Post by 05wrangler on Aug 30, 2007 19:12:14 GMT -5
You sure your not confusing them with regular ground bees or yellow jackets? These hornets get damn near 2 inches long and about 1/2 inch wide. I've never seen them make nests in areas where a tractor will get them. There not the bald face hornet (with white face, a wasp, bumble bee, yellow jacket, or honey bee) these hornets get quite larger than any other.
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Post by busco on Aug 31, 2007 6:41:42 GMT -5
about two years ago I was getting ready for bed and reached over to finish my beer. As I put it to my lips it felt like I got punched in the lip!! Grabbed for my lip and I found one, About 1 1/2 inches long about as big around as my pinky and a brownish orangish coloring... both my lips swollen so bad I looked like a duck...
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Post by 05wrangler on Aug 31, 2007 7:36:05 GMT -5
^^ yeap, sounds like a horse hornet. If you have been stung by other kinds of bees, how would rate the severity of the horse hornet sting compared to others? Heres a pic   |
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Post by busco on Aug 31, 2007 8:02:01 GMT -5
It makes most other bees feel like sissies.
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Post by osprey on Aug 31, 2007 8:28:17 GMT -5
I don't remember so much oragne on them, all black with a bit of white the ones I've seen...
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Post by reed on Aug 31, 2007 9:06:18 GMT -5
See them everywhere it seems. I have heard of people almost being knocked off of motorcycles at night when they get hit by one of these. Some think they have been shot.
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Post by mdbowhuntr on Aug 31, 2007 9:25:37 GMT -5
I've always known those as Yellow Jackets. Years ago while digging for old bottles in Oregon my brother turned over of nest of these little ba***rds and he had 10-15 on his back just stinging the the crap out of him. It was kind of funny watching my dad chase him out of the woods beating him like red headed step-child  (no offense), I thought he'd hit my dad with a shovel or something. I've also had problems with them when I'm cleaning game in warm weather. They are attracted to the scent of blood and they will swarm you if they get a chance. |
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Post by 05wrangler on Aug 31, 2007 16:48:19 GMT -5
See them everywhere it seems. I have heard of people almost being knocked off of motorcycles at night when they get hit by one of these. Some think they have been shot. yea, I've heard of similar stories. mdbowhuntr- no, they are far from yellow jackets. They are 5 times bigger than a little yellow jacket. |
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Post by Hardcorehunter on Aug 31, 2007 19:01:14 GMT -5
I have seen them tooo many times. I live pretty far back in the woods and had them come in the house through a tiny crack where the sliding glass door closes. Last year was the worst. I would kill 10-25 EVERY night. At least two or three would come in while watching t.v., had the fly swatter beside the recliner. My wife is TERRIFIED of them. I often would get phone calls where she was locked in the bedroom afraid to come out because she would be attacked. She actually talked about moving because of the hornets!!!They are atracted to the lights because they eat the other bugs around the lights. I had to buy a bug zapper and put it near the house to kill them. Every night would walk out on the porch and spray them with wasp spray. Got stung twice doing that. Hit them with wiffle ball bats as well.
Its the wierdest thing but I have not seen ONE this whole summer. I keep waiting but not one so far. This time last year hundreds killed, like a plague of locusts they kept coming.
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Post by 05wrangler on Aug 31, 2007 19:19:01 GMT -5
I live in the woods as well and constantly see them. I only had one get in so far and not sure how it happened. It sucks trying to sit out at night with any lights on because before long their swarming the lights. I may have to try the zapper thing, I'll slowly take one out at a time if I have to. My lab just got stung by one the other day, he limped for half the day and then was good.
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Post by duckbuster on Aug 31, 2007 19:56:41 GMT -5
they are vicious when the hit you on a motorcycle ,form what ive heard from an uncle and friends
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Post by Hardcorehunter on Sept 1, 2007 21:11:53 GMT -5
Talking to my wife last night she reminded me why I got stung twice last year. I ran out of hornet spray and used the next best thing I could find. Ant and Spider spray. That just pissed them off.
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Post by davep on Sept 2, 2007 3:25:13 GMT -5
Last year was the first time that we've had a lot of them: usually showed up at night,around porch lights.
Yellow jackets have been getting thick last 2 weeks. A soon as I pull out the trotline,to rebait, I'm covered!
Anyone have what I call fruit wasps? They are also 1 1/2" to 2". Hollow out all my apples, just before they are ripe! A buddy told me they ar some sort of European fruit wasp-I should see him today at a shoot, so I'll pick his brain.
That said, we have been pretty bug free this year. Usually have MILLIONS of Jap beetles, but only saw a relative few, and that was during a small window of time.
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(no offense), I thought he'd hit my dad with a shovel or something.
