hornet winter prediction

I came upon this hornets nest by accident last Sunday.  Unless you got right on top of it you'd never see it.  Judging by its size, about the size of an average cantaloupe, I'd say these little guys have been busy all summer.

Situated about head height on a single low branch in the yard, I'm amazed no one crashed into it.  Lucky for them, because hornets will send the whole hive after an attacker and can sting multiple times in the most sensitive areas of a human body.  Like the inside of a knee, the neck, an arm pit, anywhere around a face, up your pant leg stinging the most sensitive parts of your anatomy as you run through the neighbourhood waving your arms and screaming like a little girl.  If you find one of these things, it's best to leave it alone or suffer the consequences.

But some people just have to mess with a hornets nest when they see one, which is why I decided to not tell anyone at the party.  I figured if they knew, sooner or later I'd have to ask a few questions to some swollen faced people getting ready for a trip the the ER.  "How did it happen?  Did ya not see it?  Were ya fuckin with it?"

Anyway, this hornets nest was built about six feet off the ground, indicating you'll have some snow but not as much as our more recent winters.  Hornets have a good sense of how much snow we'll get and they always build their nests high enough to keep it away from snow damage.  Earlier this season I found a small hornets nest being built under the cb dish, about two and a half feet off the ground, indicating much less snow than previous years.  I suspect this new nest was built by the survivors after their first nest was destroyed, indicating survival of the species overrules the best location.

If only humans were to take a few tips from hornets.

If only humans were able to get it together and rebuild after a tragedy instead of sitting on their collective asses, waiting for someone to do it for them.
If only humans were able to eliminate their petty differences and do whatever they can to secure the survival of their species.
If only humans could take care of themselves by taking care of the group.
If only humans could be non-aggressive unless attacked or provoked.
If only humans would attack their aggressors with such fierce, collective ferocity that a second attack would be out of the question.

If humans were to realize that survival of the species is everybody's business we probably wouldn't be running all over the place like a kid poking a hornets nest with a stick.

One tip we can take from the hornets is to stock up on heating fuel and food.  It's gonna be a cold winter.