Please check out this link about the new predator to the honey bee, the Yellow-Legged Hornet. The Yellow-Legged Hornet is in addition to the Asian Giant/Murder Hornet that we all know so well, but also may be confusing the Asian Giant to the European Hornet. https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/food-environment/2024/scientists-combat-honeybee-threat-yellow-legged-hornet-spread-us
To Keep your hornets straight. The European “will not” normally kill a honey bee. The Asian Giant “will”. Now there is the Yellow-Legged Hornet that may be even more devastating to our sweet honey bees.
The European has tear drop stripes on its thorax. A head and thorax that are similar in color.
The Asian Giant/Killer on the other hand has straight stripes across its thorax. Its head is lighter in color than their thorax.
This is a good U-Tube video to tell the difference between the European and Asian Giant Hornets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz6PDJOZK9s&feature=youtu.be
