European Hornet Identification & Control

At over an inch long, the European hornet is the largest wasp most Illinois homeowners will ever encounter — and the only one that flies at night and gathers around porch lights.

Quick Identification

• Size: 1 to 1.5 inches long — the largest true hornet in North America
• Color: Reddish-brown head and thorax with a yellow and brown striped abdomen
• Key Features: Noticeably larger than yellow jackets; active at night and strongly attracted to lights — unusual for wasps; nests in cavities
• Nest Type: Sheltered cavities — hollow trees, wall voids, attic spaces
• Active Season: Summer through fall
• Risk Level: Moderate to high — powerful sting; defensive near the nest

What You Need to Know

The European hornet is the only true hornet established in North America, and its size alone is alarming. Unlike most wasps, European hornets are active after dark and are strongly drawn to porch lights and illuminated windows, which sometimes brings them into direct contact with homeowners at night. If something the size of your thumb is thumping against your porch light in August, this is usually what it is.

European hornets nest in sheltered cavities — hollow trees, wall voids, and attic spaces. Their colonies are smaller than yellow jacket colonies, but the individual hornets are much larger and deliver a more powerful sting. They're less aggressive than bald-faced hornets when foraging away from the nest, but will defend the nest vigorously.

They also strip bark from shrubs and young trees — lilac, birch, and ash are common targets — to gather nesting material and feed on the sap. Girdled branches on ornamental shrubs are sometimes the first sign of a nearby colony.

What to Do

If you're seeing large hornets around your home at night, particularly near lights, there may be a nest in a wall void, attic, or hollow tree nearby. Don't attempt to seal a suspected wall-void entrance — trapped hornets will chew through drywall to find another exit, which puts them inside your living space.

Sanctuary Pest Control does not provide hornet removal services. Contact a pest control company that handles stinging insect removal for safe treatment. If you'd like help confirming what you're dealing with first, send us a photo.