What to do in case of a hornet sting:

Remove the hornet carefully without squeezing it because it may lead to infections. Like other sorts of stings, the hornet sting can be treated with an onion. Alternatively one can use sugared water or vinegar. The sting then needs cooling. Soothing ointments can be bought at the chemist’s. Allergy sufferers should consult a doctor.

How to recognise a hornet gum:

A hornets’ gum is made up of unsound wood. The hornets chip tiny peaces of wood, form little balls mixed with saliva and stick them to the gum. It grows and grows very slowly until it becmes a big brown hornets’ gum. Wasps’ gums in comparison look grey.

What to do with a hornet gum in your garden:

Under no circumstances disturb the animals. Avoid eruptions in a circle of four metres. Noise and bad smells also disturb the hornets. Try no to interfere with their usual flying routes.

How to avoid hornets in your house:

If you do not want to keep your windows close, attach an insect net to them.

Will the hornets eat human food?

No, hornets do not like human food. They dislike things like cake, bratwurst, beer or juice. Wasps on the other hand love our food and can become quite annoying.

When do hornets sleep?

Hornets do not really sleep at all. But there is strange and interesting phenomenon: About 20 to 25 times a night all the hornets in the colony suddenly stop working and remain like paralysed for about half a minute. Then they resume working like nothing has happened. As hornets also work during night-time, they might accidentally fly into a lighted room. The light confuses the hornet and it might get lost.

Why protecting the hornets?

Hornets catch and feed great amounts of insects daily. They help to deplete vermin on fruits and trees. Nowadays hornets are protected to prevent them from becoming extinct.

If you have further questions or need help with a hornet gum, please contact the special counselling.