Common hornet - is it possible peaceful coexistence between humans and insects?

On a warm May day, you can see a large wasp flying with buzz on business. This is an ordinary hornet - a representative of the family of public wasps. Despite its impressive size, it is not aggressive. Vespa crabro or hornet wasp prefers to eat fruit juice and other sweet foods. Insects live in large families with an invariable hierarchy. The head of the colony is the uterus - the only female capable of laying fertilized eggs. The purpose of the working females and males is to serve the queen and the growing larvae.

Hornet description

Vespa crabro is a species of the largest wasp living in Europe. The body length of working individuals is 18-24 mm, the uterus is much larger - 25-35 mm. The appearance of females and males is almost identical, their differences are noticeable only with an increase. The number of segments in the antennae of the male is 13, and in the female 12, on the abdomen - 7 and 6, respectively. Small transparent wings in a calm state fold along the back. The deep cut of the reddish-orange eyes resembles the letter “C”. The surface of the body is densely covered with hairs.

Interesting fact. There are 9 subspecies of Vespa crabro in the world.

Habitat

In the Northern Hemisphere, up to the 63rd parallel, the most common species is the common hornet. It can be found in Europe, North America, Kazakhstan, Ukraine. In Russia, insects live on a vast territory from the European border to the Ural Mountains and Siberia. Even in the northern and eastern provinces of China, they know what the European hornet looks like.

Interesting fact. Until the mid-19th century, hornet wasps were not found in North America. They were accidentally brought in by European sailors.

Differences between hornet and wasp

From the rest of the family, the hornets differ in size and an enlarged nape. These parameters are immediately evident. The differences are noticeable in the nuances of color - the back, base of the abdomen and hornet tendrils are brown, and for the wasp - black. The basic proportions of the body structure of insects are similar, they have a thin waist, strong jaws, and a sting.

External features complement the differences in character, despite the superior size, the hornet is less aggressive than the wasp. An attack can be caused by approaching the nest where the hornets live in the summer.

Information. A prejudice against hornet wasps has developed due to their impressive size and formidable buzzing when flying. Unreasonable fear causes active actions towards insects, a person waving his hands at him will be bitten.

Varieties of hornets

There are more than two dozen varieties of hornets. Initially, insects were found only in East Asia. With the help of man, the typical inhabitants of the subtropics reached North America and Canada. In addition to the ordinary, which is described above, it is worth considering three interesting and numerous types:

1. The Asian giant hornet is the largest representative of wasps.No wonder in Taiwan he was given the corresponding nickname - "tiger bee." Body length reaches 60 mm, wingspan - more than 75 mm. Its habitat: China, Korea, Japan, India, Primorsky Krai of the Russian Federation. The insect is known for its highly toxic poison, produced in large quantities. His bite is dangerous and painful, the attack of several individuals leads to the death of a person. Japanese statistics report 40 annual deaths from the sting of a "bee-sparrow."
2. Black hornet - similar in size to an ordinary European counterpart. It features a black abdomen and brown wings. There is an insect in Transbaikalia and Primorye, as well as in India and China. An unusual fact about the development of the black hornet deserves attention. His uterus by deception captures another's nest, disguising itself as pheromones under their queen. The deceived family cares for the eggs and larvae of the parasite.
3. Eastern hornet - a feature of the species - adaptability to a dry climate. The insect lives in the subtropics of Asia and America, is widespread in southern Europe. The size of individuals is smaller than representatives of other species, the uterus reaches 30 mm, males are smaller - 16-20 mm.

Life cycle features

To learn more about the insect, consider its life cycle from birth to death.

Birth

One womb gives life to an entire generation of a family of giant wasps. In the spring, she finds a place to build the house of a new colony. The female makes the first honeycomb on her own, then lays eggs in them. After a few days, larvae appear that require animal food. Their mother regularly goes hunting for caterpillars, bugs, butterflies and other insects. The grown larvae turn into silk thread and turn into pupae. Two weeks later, young hornets gnaw at the path of their cocoon.

Interesting. In bad rainy weather, hornets cannot fly out of the nest, then the larvae give droplets of food to the working individuals.

Maturity

In July, several working males and females grow up, ready to take care of the family. They help build a honeycomb, fly for protein for larvae. The uterus stops leaving the house and focuses on laying eggs. How many hornets live? The age of working females and males is very short. They grow up at the end of summer, and in September most of the individuals die. The rest live up to the first cold weather.

In early autumn, the family reaches the peak of the population. In the last clutch, the queen laid the fertilized eggs, from which females appeared that could become new uterus. Individuals born earlier had altered ovaries, their functioning was suppressed by queen pheromones. Young females and males begin to swarm at the nest and mate. The sperm obtained in the fall, the insects will save for the foundation of a new family. After mating, the males will live for about a week. The old uterus loses the ability to procreate, it is expelled into the street or killed.

How hornets hibernate

Almost all representatives of the hornet colony die before winter. Only the fertilized young females will remain. In the last warm days, they actively hunt, replenishing the energy reserves of the body. A decrease in daylight becomes a signal for the onset of diapause. This is a condition in which the metabolic processes of the body are inhibited.

Where do hornets hibernate? They choose secluded places where you can hide from severe frosts and natural enemies - birds and mammals. Females prefer to climb under the bark of trees, the deeper they turn out to be, the more chances are to survive until spring. For wintering, hollows of trees filled with fallen leaves, slots of sheds, attics are used. Females wake up in May, when the average air temperature does not fall below 10⁰. They will live the longest - 1 year and create a new family of ordinary hornets.

Food

Hornets can be called omnivorous insects, they are clever hunters, but at the same time lovers of plant foods. What do hornets eat? Adults have a wide gastronomic diet:

• nectar;
• juice of ripe soft fruits (peach, pear, apple);
• berries - raspberries, blackberries, strawberries;
• aphid excretion;
• honey.

Predatory insects, except the queen, eat their relatives only at the larval stage. Working individuals with an enviable industriousness ply between the nest and the hunting place, bringing offspring of spiders, millipedes, and worms. Hornets with powerful jaws cut prey, feeding protein to growing larvae and the uterus, which takes strength to lay eggs. Large wasps often attack individual bees and hives. One large individual can tear up to 30 honey plants.

Interesting fact. Hornets do not have a long sleep period, they are active at any time of the day. For relaxation, they just freeze for a few minutes. Numerous hungry larvae, the number of which sometimes reaches 500, require a lot of food. A family of predatory insects is able to destroy up to 0.5 kg of garden pests daily.

Nest building

The place for the hornets nest should be secluded, protected from the weather and drafts. In nature, this is a hollow of trees, a reduction in their number makes the uterus look for a haven close to human housing. Sometimes females choose a birdhouse, which is soon completely filled with layers of honeycombs, requiring the search for a new place. Insects can simply hang a nest on a tree branch, hide them in a crevice of rocks, a steppe hole, in the attic of a house or farm building.

If there is no rotten stump or other wood nearby, working individuals cause significant harm to young branches. With strong jaws, they clean off the bark, which is used to build a nest. Ash or birch wood mixes with saliva and becomes the building material for the hexagonal hundreds of nest walls. Natural architects can create real masterpieces.

The nest material resembles cardboard or corrugated paper. The expansion of the structure is carried out in tiers, from top to bottom. From the first leg, stuck with the uterus, it will grow to 5-7 tiers. Plates with honeycombs have up to 500 cells. Outside, the nest has the shape of a cocoon. The thickness of the protective walls is a few centimeters. Interestingly, the color of the cocoon depends on wood, the most common - brown. The shape of the nest varies depending on the stage of construction. Usually insects flock to their home for a night's rest. How many hornets are in the nest? Their number depends on the stage of development of the colony, favorable conditions, abundance of nutrition. A colony can number 300-400 individuals.

A large amount of the remains of eaten insects, the corpses of dead hornets, and other debris accumulate on the ground under the building. This landfill exudes an unpleasant odor and becomes a source of parasite development. They can lead to the death of the colony.

Information. Despite the tremendous efforts spent on building the nest, insects will not settle in it next year. Young uterus will find a new home.

How does a hornet bite?

The insect has a sharp and smooth sting, which smashes quickly and painfully. Insect venom is not toxic than a bee, therefore, the symptoms of intoxication are similar. The consequences of a bite depend on the reaction of the body. Even with strong immunity, a swelling and redness appears at the puncture site. If an individual managed to introduce a large amount of poison, inflicting several blows with a sting, inflammation occurs. With increased sensitivity to the toxin, anaphylactic shock occurs. In this case, urgent hospitalization is required.

Why is there a severe allergic reaction? It is caused by histamine, a substance present in the chemical formula of the poison. Histamine accelerates the allergic effect, so even with strong immunity, malaise appears. In Russia, death from bites of an ordinary hornet during the history of observations was recorded only a few times. The greatest number of deaths is caused by the giant hornets in Asia.

The sting for the hornets is a weapon of defense. It is an altered ovipositor connected to a toxin-producing gland. The absence of notches allows you to easily remove weapons from the wound. The introduction of poison occurs through muscle contraction. How does a hornet sting? He pierces the skin of the enemy and injects a drop of toxin.The presence of a substance acting on nerve endings causes instant pain. The insect at the time of the bite does not consume the entire stock of poison. Otherwise, it will remain unarmed during the next attack. It takes some time to recover the amount of poison.

Attention. Especially dangerous are bites in the neck of the mouth, they cause swelling of the larynx and block breathing. Due to immature immunity, children are at greater risk than adults.

For hunting, insects use their jaws, breaking their prey. The development of a potent poison and a long, durable sting indicate that they often have to repel enemy attacks on the nest.

Danger to humans - myth or reality?

The behavior of the hornet ordinary differs significantly depending on the distance from the nest. During flights for food for themselves, the queen and the larvae, they behave peacefully. But, when there is a real or imaginary danger to the nest, hornets mercilessly sting everyone who fell into the zone of their aggression. Near the house there are always several individuals on duty for protection. In the event of an attack, they give a special alarm that collects the whole family.

Why are hornets dangerous to humans? Strong insect venom when bitten causes an attack of pain. Unpleasant sensations and swelling may persist for several days. Symptoms are similar for all victims, only the intensity of the manifestation is different.

Insects zealously defend their nest, but with careful approach, you can monitor the life of the colony. The main thing is to remember a few rules of behavior:

• do not make sudden movements;
• Do not touch the nest with your hands or with a stick;
• Do not interfere with the flight of the hornets.

It is recommended to destroy the nest of the hornet only with an increased danger of the neighborhood. For example, if arranged in an operating room or near an apiary. Predators are malicious enemies of bees and beekeepers. People with hypersensitivity to poison should get rid of the neighborhood, otherwise they will be at risk. In general, large wasps are peaceful neighbors, which will also help with the destruction of insect pests.