With its wasp-like appearance and loud buzz, the hornet is a common sight throughout the summer months in Brittany, usually flying round houses and disappearing under the eaves. It is collecting wood from old beams which it then uses to build the its nest. The nest is entirely made out of this chewed wood pulp and is often built in hollow trees or chimneys.

The hornets’ greatest predators are people, who have made it rare in Britain, but it is actually a non-aggressive, generally peaceful insect, usually attacking only when the nest is threatened. It is also useful to gardeners, eating many garden pests such as aphids and caterpillars.