Hornets and wasps

Val looks at two insects that are important pollinators

- Val Bourne

When we moved to Spring Cottage in 2005, the first thing I planted was a row of standard gooseberries going up the garden path. I think there were five or six of them, but I took them out after a few years because each bush was laden with fruit. We got 22lb (10kg) from one bush alone one year. Picking them was a trial and we gave lots away. Once the gooseberry fool season was over, we lost interest. I removed them after a few years to save myself the chore. Looking back, I should have kept one of them!

When the gooseberry flowers were out, hornets used to visit and pollinate them, especially on drizzly days. Hornets are far larger than wasps and they’re slower in flight. This year we have seen hornets in the garden again and the Best Beloved found a dead worker in the greenhouse, which was very sad. The workers are 2-3cm long, which is roughly twice as big as a wasp. The queens are larger, measuring 3-4cm, which is around 2in. There must be a nest nearby, perhaps in a nearby hollow tree. Their nests are usually about 2m (8ft) above the ground. Sometimes hornets use bird boxes, although I haven’t experienced this – thankfully.