Hornet

A large social wasp with a particularly painful sting — including the European hornet that builds paper nests in tree hollows and the notorious Asian giant hornet, the "murder hornet" that decimates honeybee colonies.

Hornet vs. wasp

“Hornet” specifically refers to wasps in the genus Vespa — the largest of the social wasps. They’re a subset of true wasps (Vespidae). The naming distinction:

Yellowjackets — smaller social wasps in genus Vespula.
Paper wasps — smaller, in genus Polistes.
Hornets — larger, in genus Vespa.

The size, the louder buzz, and the deeper sting distinguish hornets from yellowjackets in the field.

European hornet

The European hornet (Vespa crabro) was introduced to North America in the 1840s and is now common across the eastern U.S. and Canada. It’s larger than yellowjackets, has paler coloration, and is less aggressive — but its sting is significantly more painful.

European hornets build large paper nests in tree hollows, attics, or wall voids. They feed insect prey to their larvae and are net beneficial in ecological terms (eating substantial garden pests).

Asian giant hornet

The Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) is the largest hornet in the world — workers up to 55 mm long, queens larger. They appeared in North America (Washington State) in 2019 and were widely sensationalized as “murder hornets.”

Their primary impact is on honeybees. A single Asian giant hornet attacks honeybee colonies, killing thousands of bees within minutes by decapitating them. Japanese honeybees have evolved a defense — balling the invader and overheating it to death — but European honeybees haven’t.

USDA and state agencies have intensively trapped the species; they may have been eliminated from North America. Regular monitoring continues.

Sting comparison

On the Schmidt sting pain index:

European hornet: ~2.0
Asian giant hornet: ~4.0 (the highest score)
Yellowjacket: ~2.0
Honeybee: ~2.0
Bullet ant: 4.0+

The Asian giant hornet’s sting is described as “like a hot nail being driven into your leg.” Multiple stings can be fatal due to anaphylaxis or systemic toxicity — Japan reports 30-50 deaths per year from hornet stings.

Hornets and humans

Hornets generally avoid humans except in defense of their nests. Most encounters are with workers near the nest, particularly in late summer when colony populations peak. If you find a nest, leave it alone — the wasps are rarely aggressive far from the nest.

Killing the queen in spring (if she’s started a nest in your house) is the most-effective control. Mature colonies (50+ workers) are difficult to remove without professional help.