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Hornet Queen
The15thMember:
My sister was moving some downed wood in the forest today, and she broke a big punky branch so she could carry it easier, and inside she found an overwintering bald-faced hornet queen! It's only about 46F out right now, so she was not at all mobile, but she did move her antennae when touched, so she was definitely alive. She had her wings tucked underneath her abdomen for some reason, maybe to keep them warm or protected. My sister felt bad for exposing her, so she put her in some fleece we have in an old barn where some bumble bees used to have a nest, in the hopes that will be enough insulation for her to survive the winter.
Michael Bush:
Never feel bad for a hornet. They never feel bad for you.
Terri Yaki:
--- Quote from: Michael Bush on February 01, 2024, 07:40:49 am ---Never feel bad for a hornet. They never feel bad for you.
--- End quote ---
I'm glad someone else took the lead on that. I had to tape my fingers together. :cool:
The15thMember:
--- Quote from: Terri Yaki on February 01, 2024, 08:42:38 am ---
--- Quote from: Michael Bush on February 01, 2024, 07:40:49 am ---Never feel bad for a hornet. They never feel bad for you.
--- End quote ---
I'm glad someone else took the lead on that. I had to tape my fingers together. :cool:
--- End quote ---
I kind of thought this might be the response. :embarassed: The thing is an overwintering queen like this represents a whole nest. The bald-faced hornets aren't a problem where I live; they almost always nest high up in the trees away from people, and they perform an extremely important ecological pest control service. Yes, they do catch and eat some bees at the hive entrances in the fall, but I'm more than willing to feed them a handful of bees in exchange for all the hunting they do in the garden throughout the summer. Heck, they even eat their cousins the yellow jackets.
Michael Bush:
>Heck, they even eat their cousins the yellow jackets.
I will grant that anything that eats yellow jackets can't be all bad.
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