Fantastic captures! I have been watching the Orioles battle the big hornets that are at the feeder. The bees back off and wait until the birds leave! I have seen several dead bees on the ground under the feeder. No bees around the hummingbird feeder though.
Thanks Melinda. There only seems to be hornets around the hummer feeder...about three or four sometimes.
I'm not certain what these guys are, but I would hate to have them mad at me! They are big!, but they don't seem terribly aggressive.
I don’t know what kind of insect that is. The hornets here are yellow. They aren’t aggressive and build a little hive on the deck ceiling. I don’t mind them as they don’t try to sting me.
I have never seen that sort of nest. I think mine are bald faced hornets. - Bald-faced hornets will relentlessly defend their nest, but these hornets will not attack unless provoked while searching for food away from the nest. They live in hollow trees and they all die in the fall. Only the queen overwinters.
I saw this photo of a black wasp which might be the same as yours.
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