CHRS: IBMPC 2 CODEPAGE: 437 MSGID: 240:244/116 43d1e937 REPLY: 240:44/0 cf12423f PID: FDAPX/w 1.12a UnReg(397) Hi all and tom, Para vespula crabo are known as hornets here in the UK, we do not find them in South East england but in the New Forest they are common. I expect the large wasps of which Tom writes are Paravespula dolich median the European middle size wasp from France and Germany, the queen has the size and markings of a crabo worker and the workers have the size of vulgaris queens, the workers have three distinctly different markings, wide black and narrow yellow abdominal bands, equal abdominal bands and narrow black and wide yellow abdominal bands, they are more docile and less quick to sting than vulgaris which together with germanica are the two most agressive social wasps I have come across. Median nests are built in the open hanging in trees or hedges with overhanging protection, colonies rarely exceed 500 insects much like crabo, stings are no more powerful than either crabo or vulgaris, venom is designed to paralyse prey not to kill, it is therefore logical to suppose it cannot be stronger or the prey might die. If children were badly stung there might have to be another explantion. ANYTHING REPORTED IN THE PRESS ABOUT WASPS AND BEES HAS TO VIEWED WITH SCEPTICISM. Journalist writing for daily papers have no time to research facts and there job is to ensure attention is grabbed sufficient to sell the newspaper. Who would buy a paper to read all this guff I have just written, to read this you have to be interested in insects not headline news. Regards from the Garden of England [log in to unmask] ps. Hans von Hagen, a German wrote an excellent article on these wasps some years back, it was published in the Deutsche Imker Journal --- * Origin: Kent Beekeeper Beenet Point (240:244/116)