| The Hornet Vespa crabro is quite a
common visitor to the mercury vapour light traps we use in the study of
moths throughout Worcestershire’s woods. Usually there are singles or
a few that come and sit on the egg boxes in the traps. In August this
year at Wissett’s wood we had rather more than the usually number.
Wissett’s wood is a private woodland only a few kilometres from the
Wyre Forest.
In the seven light traps out we had nearly 80 hornets recorded, with one trap sheltering up to 40! They came in quite quickly after sun set. This is a wonderful spectacle, but the hornets have to be treated with care on two accounts. Apart from the obvious risk of being stung, they are reported not to survive very well in the traps. On this occasion all the hornets survived. Photos © Rosemary Winnall 2003
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| Hornets in a moth trap | |
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| Hornets feeding at a sap run | Hornet |