Seen Any HUGE Hornets Lately?
Seen any huge hornets lately? Chances are, they are European hornets. Despite these insects having first been introduced to Massachusetts over 150 years ago, many people have never noticed European hornets (Vespa crabro) before. Here’s how to spot them and tell the difference between them and their invasive cousin the Northern giant hornet (aka the “murder hornet”).
Identification
European hornets are about 1 inch long, but queens can be up to 1.5 inches long. They are black and yellow with stripes on their abdomens (the largest body segment on the hornet). Some of the stripes have small, black teardrops connected to them, but these are not always present. European hornets are sometimes mistaken for the invasive Northern giant hornet, which is also large and striped, but doesn’t have teardrop-shaped markings on its abdomen. Northern giant hornets have, as of June 2023, only been found in a few small areas in the Pacific Northwest.
Biology
European hornets are not native to New England and were introduced to the United States from Europe in the early to mid-1800s. They are now found throughout Massachusetts, but are not regulated here.
Queens emerge in the spring and hunt for a place to make their nest. They build their nests in protected cavities like hollow tree trunks. Compared to native colonial wasps, like the eastern yellow jacket, that often have thousands of wasps per nest, European hornets have relatively small colonies of only 200-400 insects. This difference in numbers partially accounts for why, despite the hornets’ large size, many people are not familiar with these insects.
European hornets are primarily predators that hunt other insects. However, late in the summer they may forage for sugars and carbohydrates by searching for fruit or chewing bark off of small branches to drink tree sap. You are most likely to encounter a European hornet in early spring, when queens are looking for nesting sites, or in fall, when their food becomes scarce. You also may spot them foraging for insects like caterpillars at any time during the summer and sometimes at porch lights at night.
Fun fact
European hornets are the only “true hornets” found in Massachusetts and one of only two true hornets that have been found in North America.