In photos: hornet warning for Ditchling Common after nest spotted in tree

Brian Dandridge first raised the alert with a series of photos that he posted on the Hassocks Uncovered Facebook page.

He also shared the photos with the Mid Sussex Times on Wednesday morning, August 30.

Brian said in the post: “Beware: the hornets are back on Ditchling Common. I saw and photographed hornets in the same location several years ago but hadn’t seen them since until this morning (Monday, August 28).”

Brian said the insects’ nest is in a tree on the far side of the pond (from the car park) behind the noticeboard. The tree is the one near the gate leading out onto the open common area.

He said: “Strongly recommend giving them a wide berth. I was standing a long way back when I took these photos through a very powerful 800mm lens – and still cropped in on the images.”

The Sussex Wildlife Trust said that the European hornet, Vespa crabro, is ‘a rather fearsome looking insect’. But they said the species is rarely aggressive and is usually docile unless its nest is approached or the colony is threatened.

The Sussex Wildlife Trust said a hornet’s sting’s toxicity is usually lower than that of a honey bee, but stings can still cause allergic reactions and are bad for those susceptible to wasp venom.

They said that European hornets have yellow heads from the front, which are red from above, while their abdomens are mostly pale yellow with black stripes. They also have a black and reddish brown thorax and legs.