The latest wave of European immigrants to invade Missouri may be bugging Ozarkers with their stingy presence, but scientists say the European Hornets are actually beneficial to the ecosystem. The European Hornet is the largest of the vespid wasps in North America, growing to 1.5 inches in length. It's the only wasp that is brown with yellow markings, says Richard Houseman, entomologist at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Colonies are typically the largest and most active in the late summer months.
While hornets are not as aggressive as other wasps and normally don't sting unless provoked, they will defend their colonies, Houseman said. This pest is not new to the country. European Hornets arrived in New York around 1840 and are found throughout the eastern United States and Canada. They prefer forested areas like the Ozarks. Their nests are usually paper-like combs that are brown in color, distinguished from the gray nests of Baldfaced hornets.