When I went into the field this morning, it was coverd in what I can only discribe as little tiny mole hills with a hole in the top. as I looked closer there were dozens of what looked like wasp's exept the parts of the body that are yellow were bright orange. They were crawling all over the place and going in and out of the hole at the top of the hills. I have never come across them before in all my years (and thats a lot) has anybody any idea's as to what they are and are they dangerous to dogs or humans in the way of stinging pads or other parts of the body? Viv

Hi Vivian.. just asked my husband about these insects as we have them in our garden. he says they are hornets as far as he knows. we have never been bitten by them or any of my dogs. i have actually been weeding the garden before and disturbed them and not been bitten...
thats if they are the same as we get up here in scotland.... they sound like it :-)

Hi Vivian,

My partner who is a landscape gardener says that hornets apparently can sting worse than a wasp.  He knows someone who was stung by an hornet and he said it hurt much more than a wasp sting (the poor man got stung with 5 wasps in the morning when gardening and an hornet in the afternoon, when he hit their  nests whilst using a rotavator machine)
He says they aren't as aggressive as wasps but will sting.

Hi, I think we will keep clear just incase, can't risk the dogs being stung. Will have to do a lot more roadwork for now. Thanks Viv

Hi Vivian,

These are defintely hornets.  Avoid at all costs. I was stung by one a few years ago on the ankle, whilst hanging out washing in the garden, and my foot blew up like a balloon.  It was five weeks before my ankle was back to normal.  Not a nice creature at all :(

They are probably not hornets...... i suspect they are a type of solitary bee, theres some round here as well.

Hornets are MUCH bigger, MUCH more wasp like and very aggressive! They build nests like wasps do, sort of papery stuff.

Em

http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/solbee.htm

Hi sorry but I was thinking exactly the same as theemx. We have had them in our garden before I am sure they are not hornets. They are definately a type of bee they bury in the ground to lay eggs maybe not sure why but they have always been completely harmless to us and the children, don't know what they would do if a dog started sniffing around them. I would just keep an eye but go about your usual business.
Hornets are huge and very wasp like! Not known one to sting out of spite but I wouldn't trust them at all, they are far to big and mean looking to be friendly :-D :-D :-D