The Ohio State University Extension Service in Trumbull County is responding to several reports of large hornets in the area.

The Extension said on its Facebook page that those insects are not the Asian Giant Hornet, also known as the “Murder Hornet”.

Experts say pictures emailed to the service this week are of the European Hornet, which has been in the U.S. for almost 200 years.

European Hornets are predators of other insects and later in the summer, you may see them eating overripe fruit.

Their sting is said to be similar to a honeybee, but according to the extension service, they are not as aggressive as yellow jackets.

Despite their alarming size and similarity to yellow jackets, they can be quite docile unless provoked.

European hornets, like many wasps and bees, build a new nest annually.

Fertile queens emerge from hibernation in spring and begin seeking a secure site to build their nest.

European hornets build a paper-based nest inside of a protected cavity such as a hollow tree. They prefer a high nest entry, usually about 6 feet or more, for additional protection from nest raiders.