Bald-faced hornet

6830.        This guy is just over an inch long. I have not seen him here before. He slept on my outside broom handle. I almost grabbed him! Wondering if he is normally here and I just didn’t notice before. Salmon Arm, British Columbia. Canada

Number 6830. This is a bald-faced hornet, Dolichovespula maculata (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Like most of its ilk, it can deliver a very painful sting, but in spite of its reputation for aggressiveness, I have never been stung by one, even when I have been quite close to a nest. Click here for more detailed information.