10285 Hornets be very careful

Whilst not wishing to be alarmist, can I alert members again to the danger of hornets, sadly last night an older man in our village died as the direct result of a hornet sting, I understand that there was a history of allergic reaction, but despite the quick attendance of emergencey services he did not survive. It seems the hornet was trapped in window netting and he had not noticed it.
So a lesson to be careful, treat them with respect, never attempt to destroy a nest yourself, and be aware of where they might be around your home.Even if there is not an allergic reaction I am told that a visit to the hospital is advisable.
A

Category
Gardening & Agriculture

And if you do discover a nest, don't try to deal with it yourself, call the fire brigade. They are the experts, are used to dealing with nests and know what they are doing.

Whilst this case is of course is unfortunate, it should also be pointed out that hornets are not by nature agressive. I walk directly past a hornets nest on our land every day, without being bothered. I have seen my mother gently catch a hornet caught in her curtains and release it out of the window. In cases of allergies a wasp or bee sting can be just as deadly and certainly wasps are a lot more likely to sting.

Whilst eating out last night in our garden with two friends from Aveyron, a certain number of BIG FLYING B52 stripy types congregated around our dining area... It didn't help that we had a dozen hurricane lamps burning brightly above our table.. At one point we had 5 hornets skimming inches above our heads, playing havoc with the ambience...Jumping up and down between mouthfuls was hardly conducive to our reunion soiree. Our guests had never seen such sights. They do not have them in their area or mosquito's. So we had a lively night.
To be fair the hornets never attacked us once...but we did them. A large can of cheapo insecticide spray was brandished. We sprayed. They died. We ate.
Sprat

[quote=pilchard;96143]............... We sprayed. They died. We ate.
Sprat[/quote]

Blimey - how big were they? [and....roasted or fried?]

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Blimey - how big were they? [and....roasted or fried?]

Could only manage two and using other three for pie tomorrow.
S