What Is a Group of Hornets Called?
One of the few collective nouns that also happens to double as a punchline.
A group of hornets is called a bike, with nest and swarm used depending on context. Hornets are large, social wasps that build paper nests and can number in the hundreds within a single colony.
What Is a Group of Hornets Called?
Bike is the most commonly cited term for a group of hornets, an older regional word for a nest of wasps or hornets that has largely fallen out of everyday use but survives in collective-noun references. Nest is the more familiar and widely used general term for a hornet colony, while swarm describes hornets in flight or actively defending their nest.
Where Did the Name Come From?
“Bike” as a word for a wasp or hornet nest predates the bicycle by centuries and comes from an old English dialect term unrelated to the modern vehicle, most likely tied to a root meaning to sting or to a nest-like structure. The overlap with the modern word for bicycle is coincidental, which is part of what makes it such a memorable collective noun. It also shares its name with the similarly patterned term for a group of ants and bees, since all three are stinging, colony-forming insects.
Hornet Facts
- Largest social wasps: hornets are generally the largest of the social wasps, with some species reaching over two inches long.
- Paper nests: hornets build their nests from chewed wood pulp mixed with saliva, creating a papery, layered structure.
- Colony size: a mature hornet nest can house anywhere from a few hundred to over a thousand individuals by late summer.
- Repeat stingers: unlike honeybees, hornets can sting multiple times without dying, since their stingers aren’t barbed.
Example Sentences
- A bike of hornets had built their nest under the eaves of the old barn.
- The gardener backed away slowly from the swarm of hornets guarding their nest.
Other Names for a Group of Hornets
Bike is the older, more distinctive collective noun specific to hornets and wasps. Nest is the everyday term most people use for the colony as a whole. Swarm is reserved for hornets actively in flight, especially when agitated or defending their home. For the reverse-lookup angle on this term, see what other animals form a bike.
🧠 Test Your Hornet Knowledge
Three quick questions. See what stuck.
1. What is the older, more distinctive collective noun for hornets?
2. What are hornet nests made from?
3. Why can hornets sting multiple times?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a group of hornets called?
A bike, an older regional term for a hornet or wasp nest, with nest and swarm also commonly used.
Why is it called a bike?
Bike is an old English dialect word for a wasp or hornet nest that predates the bicycle and is unrelated to it.
Can hornets sting more than once?
Yes. Unlike honeybees, hornets have smooth, unbarbed stingers and can sting repeatedly without dying.
How big can a hornet colony get?
A mature nest can house anywhere from a few hundred to over a thousand individuals by late summer.
A Word Older Than the Wheel
A bike of hornets is proof that some of English’s oddest word overlaps are pure coincidence — this one just happens to predate the bicycle by centuries.