European hornets are pacific. They only attack to protect their nest when the intruder is closer than 5 meters.
What you see there are workers taking material to build the nest. They feed on other flying animals, sugary liquids and on a liquid produced by the larvae. As they are predating a hives parasitic, they are considered beneficial for the protection of bees.
Asian hornets, which are now setting up in the south of Europe, are much more aggressive though. They have reached the middle of France and are progressing north. It is unclear what their northern limit will be, depending on how they survive winter.
Finally, never ever smash a hornet. Their broken body releases an attack pheromone which will stick to anything that touches the body and other hornets will start chasing what's bearing it. This is maybe the reason why they are considered aggressive towards attackers.
Thanks for the pictures. I have hornets chasing in the garden but have never seen them like that.
