Yellow Jacketed Invader...

[Chipchopper]

No, not a traffic warden but something even more formidable!

When I came down the stairs yesterday morning I was shocked to see a huge hornet on the edge of a window frame (window don't open), although I don't like them in the house, as they can get aggressive, I'd rather not kill it but prefer to set it free.
By the time I figured out, how to trap and release it, it had somehow disappeared and it wasn't til this morning that I found the hornet on the conservatory floor.
Thinking it was dead I picked it up and put it outside in a flower pot, it was then that I saw its abdomen moving and realized it was still alive and I considered myself lucky to escape getting stung.
Not knowing much about insect CPR, I just left it there, hoping it might recover out in the fresh air.

[Robinia]

Ooh, narrow escape Chipchopper. I remember fetching some washing in off the line, clutching it against may chest as I went. As I put it on the dining table a big bee flew up...could have been very painful!
I've had one bee and one wasp sting and apparently that's all it takes to set up a sensitivity which could mean a bad allergic reaction if I was stung again.

[Chipchopper]

Robinia,
So instead of the body building up an immunity to bee or wasp venom, we end up becoming hypo-sensitive to it, thats interesting,I wonder if the same applies to mosquito's too, I think it might.

I must admit these giant hornets give me the hebe-jeebies and I had to man-up to deal with it, but looking at it closely, I realised how impressive it was.

[jomifl]

'Hypo' means 'less than' I think you meant hyper'.
Hornets are not usually aggressive, just noisy. The simplest method of picking up insects and even possible stingers is to enfold them in a handkerchief then take it outside and unfold it. They don't even realise what has happened. We used to get lots of hornets that were drunk on fermenting figs in the garden, no aggression at all...

[Chipchopper]

Thanks Jom,
Yes 'Hyper' is what I meant.

I find a rumpled tissue a handy tool for picking creepy crawlies up, but I can't get outside fast enough to shake it out! ;¬)

[Robinia]

It would seem that way regarding the allergy to stings Chipchopper. I first heard about it on a nature programme. There's some info here, particularly in the section "Some points about allergies to insect stings".
I'm not paranoid but it's always best to be aware, especially if you're like me, I have a terrible reaction to mozzy and thrip bites.

If possible I usually catch wasps and bees in a plastic tub or wide necked jar....they get a tad angry!
I once caught a frog that had come in the house in a plastic box ...I now know how the saying 'mad as a box of frogs' came about. It went nuts, haha.

[jno]

yes, the second sting's the worst, the first one just sets you up. I got two a week apart a few years ago - first one was a bit red but vanished after a couple of days, the second one my arm swelled up badly and was very painful; I had to take days off work. So if you do get stung, be extra careful for quite a while afterwards.

[Robinia]

Yes jno, it's great news for someone with a bees nest in their house wall...right outside the toilet window. I'm keeping it tightly closed! :)

[jomifl]

Robinia, If you phone you local beekeeper (should bee(:-)) in local directory) they will either remove the nest or destroy the bees if you are concerned about them. Probably much cheaper than pest control if they charge anything at all.

[Robinia]

It's ok jomifl, I've talked to someone who's assured me bees do no harm, they're not destructive as wasps are and it's not for long so I'm quite happy to leave them. My garden's planted for wildlife & they're having a great time in it.

[jomifl]

Robinia, although bees may not be directly destructive they can cause problems. Where I once worked bees nested in the roof space and in the August heat the honeycombs melted and the honey dripped through the ceiling...more than a bit of a mess especially when every local insect available arrived for a free lunch. :-)