Hi folks,
I have 2 'Woodcrete' nestboxes in the garden, one with a 25mm hole for Blue Tits, the other a 28mm for Great Tits. The Blue Tit one hangs on the rear end wall of the garage, the other on the trunk of a Horse Chestnut at the bottom of the garden. Note that with this kind of box you gain access by removing the whole front panel, which slots in and is clipped.
Back in the Spring both boxes were used and at about the end of May the Blue Tits fledged. I waited until the middle of July and then went to have a look in the boxes. No problem with the Great Tits (and no corpses left behind) but as I went to touch the Blue Tit box I heard a loud buzzing noise coming from the box. I am allergic to Wasp-stings so I backed off and left it, intending to get the Pest Control people to come if it became a problem.
Over the next few weeks I saw what looked like a large reddish Wasp nipping around the garden and twice saw it go into the box, then towards the end of July I was in the area and heard a continuous buzzing from the box, looked and there was an enormous reddish waspish insect just outside the hole, fanning it's wings like no tomorrow. I presumed that this was 'air-conditioning' and there must be a nest in there. I kept watch and started to take photos, then contacted the top Entymologist at Bristol Museum who confirmed from the photos that what I had/have is a Hornets' nest! This got him moderately excited as there had only been 2 nests reported in the whole of the 'Avon' area in 2004, one of them being in woodland about 4 miles from where I live; presumably I've got one of the young Queens from that nest.
He informed me that, despite their appearance, Hornets are generally placid, non-aggressive insects and in all his experience he had never heard of anyone being stung; he did however advise not to try to interfere with the nest! He also said the the only alternatives were to leave the Hornets to their own devices, in which case the nest would be dead by late Nov/early Dec, or to have it killed. So I've opted to leave it. Later, when the new Queens and Males have left I'll start giving it a gentle tap with a long stick and when nothing buzzes (twice) then down it will come and be on it's way to the Museum, who don't have a Hornets' nest on exhibition.
Here are 3 photos of the box at various stages of Hornet nest-building. First the original 'air-conditioning', you can just see the nest inside the hole; then the first stage of external building (the nest inside was already finished by then I assume) and finally today's shot showing the amount of work that they've put into it. Industrious little (!) beasties aren't they. Do remember that the nest-hole is 25mm across.
The caution is obvious, before you open your nest-box stand a bit back and give it a tap with a stick; if it buzzes, leave it alone or call for help.
Cheers, Bill
I have 2 'Woodcrete' nestboxes in the garden, one with a 25mm hole for Blue Tits, the other a 28mm for Great Tits. The Blue Tit one hangs on the rear end wall of the garage, the other on the trunk of a Horse Chestnut at the bottom of the garden. Note that with this kind of box you gain access by removing the whole front panel, which slots in and is clipped.
Back in the Spring both boxes were used and at about the end of May the Blue Tits fledged. I waited until the middle of July and then went to have a look in the boxes. No problem with the Great Tits (and no corpses left behind) but as I went to touch the Blue Tit box I heard a loud buzzing noise coming from the box. I am allergic to Wasp-stings so I backed off and left it, intending to get the Pest Control people to come if it became a problem.
Over the next few weeks I saw what looked like a large reddish Wasp nipping around the garden and twice saw it go into the box, then towards the end of July I was in the area and heard a continuous buzzing from the box, looked and there was an enormous reddish waspish insect just outside the hole, fanning it's wings like no tomorrow. I presumed that this was 'air-conditioning' and there must be a nest in there. I kept watch and started to take photos, then contacted the top Entymologist at Bristol Museum who confirmed from the photos that what I had/have is a Hornets' nest! This got him moderately excited as there had only been 2 nests reported in the whole of the 'Avon' area in 2004, one of them being in woodland about 4 miles from where I live; presumably I've got one of the young Queens from that nest.
He informed me that, despite their appearance, Hornets are generally placid, non-aggressive insects and in all his experience he had never heard of anyone being stung; he did however advise not to try to interfere with the nest! He also said the the only alternatives were to leave the Hornets to their own devices, in which case the nest would be dead by late Nov/early Dec, or to have it killed. So I've opted to leave it. Later, when the new Queens and Males have left I'll start giving it a gentle tap with a long stick and when nothing buzzes (twice) then down it will come and be on it's way to the Museum, who don't have a Hornets' nest on exhibition.
Here are 3 photos of the box at various stages of Hornet nest-building. First the original 'air-conditioning', you can just see the nest inside the hole; then the first stage of external building (the nest inside was already finished by then I assume) and finally today's shot showing the amount of work that they've put into it. Industrious little (!) beasties aren't they. Do remember that the nest-hole is 25mm across.
The caution is obvious, before you open your nest-box stand a bit back and give it a tap with a stick; if it buzzes, leave it alone or call for help.
Cheers, Bill
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