Large hornet/wasp - Ask Extension
I found this guy in my house the other day. I scooped him up in the glass container which is 4 cm deep, so you can see that that is about how long he ...
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Large hornet/wasp #867877
Asked May 10, 2024, 12:04 PM EDT
I found this guy in my house the other day. I scooped him up in the glass container which is 4 cm deep, so you can see that that is about how long he is. He was very docile; he crawled around on my fence for awhile while I watched him and showed no aggression at all. Can you identify him for me?
Hamilton County Ohio
Expert Response
Nancy,
This is a European Hornet. She is the only true hornet in the state. Obviously, she is not native. Only female hornets overwinter form one growing season to the next, so she is quite capable of giving a powerful sting if aggravated. She is not an Asian giant hornet. She has the wrong color patterns and is too small. Here is a factsheet on the European hornet from Penn State: https://extension.psu.edu/european-hornet
Here is an article about European hornets from Ohio State: https://bygl.osu.edu/index.php/node/932
This is a European Hornet. She is the only true hornet in the state. Obviously, she is not native. Only female hornets overwinter form one growing season to the next, so she is quite capable of giving a powerful sting if aggravated. She is not an Asian giant hornet. She has the wrong color patterns and is too small. Here is a factsheet on the European hornet from Penn State: https://extension.psu.edu/european-hornet
Here is an article about European hornets from Ohio State: https://bygl.osu.edu/index.php/node/932
