Is This a Hornet?

I have just found this large insect on the floor of my shed.Is it a Hornet?,how would it have got there?{very sluggish seems to be half asleep}what does it feed on? and what should I do with it?









Answers on a postcard please :D :D

 

Yes, Kandy - it's a hornet. Not usually aggressive, and they're beneficial insects as they eat flies. They're colonial, like wasps, and make a large paper nest usually from chewed-up hardwood like oak. The queens hibernate over the winter, also like wasps, and the new nest is usually near the old one.

They aren't usually a problem to humans, so my advice would be simply to let it go!

 

Hi HA,Thankyou for that information.We saw one years ago when we were down on the South Coast and kept away from it because we heard that the sting from one could mean hospital treatment.It was on the floor just inside the door and it seemed quite dozy.I have it in a glass jar at the moment until I could get a proper Identification.

I have rung a friend who used to work as a pest control officer{Rat Catcher} for his advice but he seems to be out{He is Retired} so I have left him a message.I hope that he/she is the only one,but I would love to know how it got in my shed...