I found this amazing and beautiful structure in the little hut we have in the forest. It’s a Hornets nest from last summer. The hornets chew wood to create paper that is clued together with their saliva. They prefer to build in dark places like hollow trees but can also build in houses.

The European hornet (Vespa crabro), Bålgeting in Swedish, is a rather large insect. The queen can be from 25 up to 35 mm in length, while the worker hornets are between 18 and 28 mm where the male workers are slightly larger. Only the female possess a stinger including the queen. The European hornet is carnivorous and eat other insects, including other wasps.

The European hornet generally avoids conflict but if stepped on or grabbed it will sting. It is also defensive of its nest and around food sources. The sting will hurt but if you’re not sensitive it’s not dangerous. Only the queen survives the winter and wakes up in May when she starts to build a new nest.

Don’t poke around others nests, it will sting. Ha de Gött!