The Horntail, aka “giant wood wasp” or “greater horntail” is often mistaken for a wasp with its yellow and black bands. However, the horntail is harmless to humans as it does not sting.
We recently came across a horntail and thought we’d share the photo we took to let people know what to look out for.
What does the horntail look like?
Well, it’s often mistaken for a wasp and it’s easy to see why.
But, on closer inspection you can see that the horntail has a large barrel-shaped body with no waist, unlike the wasp which has a distinctive waist.
Its colour may also change from black to metallic blue and sometimes black, red and yellow.
The females have a long ‘sting’ called an ovipositor; she uses this to penetrate timber (usually pine) and then buries her eggs deep into the wood.
Female wood wasps tend to look for dead /depleted trees to lay eggs. A female wood wasp can lay up to 200 eggs.
Larvae emerge into adults by chewing wood.
Eggs develop into insects with six legs and strong jaws – strong enough to gnaw through solid wood! It can take around five years to reach maturity and tunnel through the timber.
Is the horntail dangerous?
Horntails can, and do, make large holes on interior surfaces looking. The damage can be horrendous and found anywhere such as room tiles, hardwood floors, carpets and wallboard.
They can also make their way through soft metal such as lead.
Although they do not sting, they can still be quite scary as they are very noisy buzzers!
Most worryingly is the fact they can cause damage to buildings.
If you think you have a wood wasp nest, you should call in a professional Pest controller. It may also be advisable to call a qualified surveyor to inspect property for structural damage.
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PGM and Son Pest Control is fully qualified in wasp control in Hereford and a member of NPTA. PGM & Son Pest Control Hereford carries comprehensive public liability insurance. If you think you have a wasp problem don’t delay – call us today.
For a quick response and low costs, call us today at PGM & Son Pest Control Hereford to remove your wasp nest.
Call us on 01981 540088 or call our wasp pest technician Phil on directly 07964 370480. Or, you can email us at contact@pgmpestcontrol.co.uk or you can use the contact us page.
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