# What does it mean when a hornet circles you **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 22, 2004, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407 "2004-09-22T01:27:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/1 "2004-09-22T01:27:40Z")
In the woods around where I live there are hornets and when I find one it tends to fly around me in circles and follow me. I’ve never been stung though and its always a solitary hornet that does this. What is it doing exactly? And is there anyway to ward off hornets. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/2 "2004-09-22T02:06:14Z")
It’s like a bully in 6th grade. It’s intimidating you and jeering at you, and it will also sting the shit out of you if you make it decently possible. Oh, and be glad it isn’t a yellow jacket, they’re a meaner version of the same beastie. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/3 "2004-09-22T02:07:10Z")
Maybe he’s sizing you up to see if you’re a threat or not. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/4 "2004-09-22T02:27:42Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > It’s like a bully in 6th grade. It’s intimidating you and jeering at you, and it will also sting the shit out of you if you make it decently possible. Oh, and be glad it isn’t a yellow jacket, they’re a meaner version of the same beastie. My parents had a yellowjacket infestation in their basement and they weren’t aggressive at all. We’d just spray them with bug spray and watch them die, none of them even tried to sting us. I’d say close to 300 were killed over the course of 2 weeks before we sealed the whole. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/5 "2004-09-22T02:28:49Z")
That should say ‘sealed the hole they were coming in through’. ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/6 "2004-09-22T03:07:25Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > It’s like a bully in 6th grade. It’s intimidating you and jeering at you, and it will also sting the shit out of you if you make it decently possible. Oh, and be glad it isn’t a yellow jacket, they’re a meaner version of the same beastie. I’ve been stung by plenty of wasps and yellowjackets. The yellowjackets hurt more, despite their supposedly smaller load of venom. The burning sensation seems to grow for several seconds and lasts for several minutes. Christ, do I hate those bastards. Wasps are much slower, but I got blindsided by some. Never been stung by a hornet. No desire to round out my experience, either. Some say the bald faced hornet stings like a mutha shut yo mouth. Yellowjackets are notoriously aggressive and will strike and strike and strike, like Khan of Star Trek fame. Don’t know how an Africanized honeybee compares. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/7 "2004-09-22T03:48:27Z")
Means you got purty lips. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/8 "2004-09-22T04:15:18Z")
You are a hornet god, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/9 "2004-09-22T04:36:14Z")
How on earth is anyone supposed to know what is going on in the brain of a hornet? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/10 "2004-09-22T05:23:34Z")
> [@Ficer67](#): > > How on earth is anyone supposed to know what is going on in the brain of a hornet? Well, I just finished reading _Men are from Mars, Hornets are from the woods_ and I’ve got a pretty firm grasp of the Hornet thinking process. The Hornet is circling you for attention and trying to get you to notice it more than the other Hornets. If it gets mad it will sting you but sometimes for no reason it will sting you, many times while you are watching sports. These random stings are just the Hornet’s means of getting your attention. If you come home late, look at another Hornet or fail to pay attention to the Hornet’s every whim and desire, prepare to be stung. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/11 "2004-09-22T06:56:15Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > In the woods around where I live there are hornets and when I find one it tends to fly around me in circles and follow me. I’ve never been stung though and its always a solitary hornet that does this. What is it doing exactly? The hornet’s trying to tell you that Timmy fell down into the well. ---
**Author:** ![Grossbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba8739/32.png) [@Grossbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grossbottom)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/12 "2004-09-22T15:28:18Z")
It’s preparing to launch a harpoon and tow cable. After it brings you down, you’ll be shot in the neck by a snowspeeder and boarded by Rebel infantry. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/13 "2004-09-22T15:40:14Z")
To go all serious on y’all now, [this old Pit thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=181240) hadsome informative posts in it, including the good news that there are indeed wasp/hornet repellants. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/14 "2004-09-22T15:45:30Z")
If it was a [Hornet](http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/aircraft/air-fa18.html), it wants to land on you. ---
**Author:** ![TwoTrouts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@TwoTrouts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoTrouts)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/15 "2004-09-22T15:46:54Z")
The hornet circling you is in all probability searching for spiders, caterpillars, cicadas, or some other form of insect food. I’ve even had them land on my shirts and crawl around for a bit. If you follow one, you will see it do the same thing to small bushes, shrubs, dogs, etc. It is a hunter and really just wants a bug to eat, it is not interested in you. Yet, there are some species of bees that are attracted to sweat. I don’t think this is what you have in your woods, though. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/16 "2004-09-22T19:58:19Z")
Are you sure it’s not an ioun stone? ---
**Author:** ![bummerboy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@bummerboy2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bummerboy2)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/17 "2004-09-22T20:54:27Z")
The hornet loves you. Hey, here’s some advice. If you ever cross a yellow jacket nest in some wood log or something, don’t hit it with a bat… ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/18 "2004-09-22T21:24:28Z")
> [@Grossbottom](#): > > It’s preparing to launch a harpoon and tow cable. After it brings you down, you’ll be shot in the neck by a snowspeeder and boarded by Rebel infantry. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/19 "2004-09-22T21:28:11Z")
CNN has a story about a guy who died after getting [1000 yellow jacket](http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/09/22/insect.attack.ap/index.html) stings. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407/20 "2004-09-22T21:32:51Z")
Many insects, including I think bees and wasps, are quite sensitive to CO[sub]2[/sub\*\* - they use this sense to locate prey, food and their own nests - it may be that the hornets are circling on the edge of a CO[sub]2[/sub\*\* gradient, but are neither homing in to feed (because in other ways they fail to sense the presence of food), nor homing in to attack (because they do not perceive an elevated level of threat), however, ‘patrolling’ your perimeter may make sense in terms of nest survival, the statistical probability of _something like you_ having food or being a threat, etc. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-when-a-hornet-circles-you/265407.md?page=2)