Hornets don't tend to be as aggressive as one may think - they tend to only attack when they feel threatened, like when someone comes within a threatening distance to their nest - this is usually 2-3m.

Hornets are actually a variant of wasps that live in large, highly organized, colonies. The main difference between wasps and hornets is that hornets are larger in size, though not aggression.

​

Hornets tend to build their nests in high areas, though have been known to build underground. Hornet nests which are elevated are sometimes free-hanging, using a stalk called a petiole which attaches to the nearest object such as a tree branch.