Why is there a hornet always coming near our front porch?

Question

ok it is bigger then an average bee so it has to be a hornet and it isn't black like a wasp so i guess its a hornet.OK well i started seeing this hornet about a week ago and it keeps coming near our front porch.i live in Reading Pennsylvania.well in my block this hornet keeps coming near our front porch everyday for some reason!it flies across the street and goes around our whole block.is this good or bad?do i need to worry or not because i don't wanna get sting by it.please tell me how to avoid getting stung by it when i go outside.i don't wanna bother it.

Answer 1

size doesn't make it a hornet... there is only one species of hornet readily found in the US and it was introduced from Europe. It is a bit larger than most wasps but there are native wasps and mud daubers that are larger than it.  The different wasps often feed on spiders so they readily hunt in areas where spiders may be found, such as around porches.  It could be one of the solitary wasps or mud daubers that are nesting in the porch area out of you visibility.   No matter what species of wasp it is it shouldn't attack you unless you threaten the nest and I don't think I have even heard of mud daubers stinging anyone knocking down their nests.   Getting rid of it can vary from an old tennis racket to a can of generic bug spray... no need to buy expensive stuff for a solitary wasp/hornet/bee/bug/insect

Answer 2

I had the same problem here in KY a week or so ago.  He was fond of our bush in the front, and switched between ours and our neighbors.  There weren't any other bees/hornets - just him.  So I knew there wasn't a hive or anything (which was a relief).  I started using the back door b/c I was scared to go in/out of the front door.  There are hornet killing products out there, all of which you should ONLY SPRAY AT NIGHT!  Please only at night....so they don't attack you.  

This time, though, we actually didn't end up getting any spray.  The hornet went away on his own.  He must have moved on.  Our weather changed from being hot & humid to a nice couple weeks of wet rainy weather.  Now the weather is nice again but no other hornet/bee has returned (knock on wood).  Maybe he was seasonal for my area.  

Best product?  I'm a big fan of Raid:

http://www.killsbugsdead.com/fop_w_h_k.a...

However my grandmother prefers this since it freezes on contact and reaches up to 15 feet:

http://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/wasp...

Hope this helps!  Good luck!

Answer 3

Personally, I would kill it. I hate wasps and hornets. It's probably coming near your front porch to find a place for a nest. If you make it mad, it will sting you.

I would use a wasp and hornet killer on it. Otherwise, I have also used brake cleaner and carb/choke cleaner (I work in an auto repair shop). The brake cleaner just stunned it enough to get it to the ground and then I was able to smash it. Carb cleaner killed another dead.