Not suzumebachi

The big wasp that frequents the pond was not the giant asian hornet fortunately. Actually there are several of them but they all look the same so I thought it was just one. But in reality they take shifts I guess carrying water to their home or something? At least it looks that way, after a few moments at the pond, it flies away and a few minutes later a new one arrives at the pond, taking the same route when done etc.

Not suzumebachi

Anyway, this was all fine until I noticed they are taking interest in the garden surrounding the pond, i.e. my garden. Pausing a few minutes and checking out the vegetation and so on. Then last week I noticed one of them (or was it all of them? Not sure. I only saw one at the time.) spends a lot of time at the big ajisai at the front, between the kitchen entrance and the main entrance. It is a nice and shady place I guess perfect for them to make a nest. No way!
Whenever I walked past the ajisai, which is every time I go to the garden, I encountered a big wasp and got goosebumps from the creepiness. And the wasp checked me out more and more...
I had already recently bought a net to catch butterflies and moths that lay eggs on my saplings. I do kill their larvae when I see any, but it is best to stop the eggs at the source I figured.
So anyway, I had just been to the store and was unloading some stuff at the front, and was on my way to take the truck I borrowed back to the home center when a wasp got real close to me. I thought this has to end here. Quickly went and fetched the net and caught the wasp. Real scary to actually go after a wasp. My strategy so far had been to leave them alone and avoid them, not chase them. So you can imagine the huge shivers down my spine while I caught the wasp. And there was no place for errors or missing cause I bet it would attack me once it found out my intentions.
So there I was, wasp in net, and no time to do anything with it cause I had to hurry with the truck. So what I did was to leave the net with the wasp in it on the ground, and placed 4 small bricks around it so the wasp could not sneak out, plus a brick on top of those bricks to make sure Tora (who spends all his days in the garden) would not see and attempt to release it. Basically a small hut of tiny bricks with an angry wasp in a net inside. Quick look at the wasp turned out it was not a suzumebachi but a long-leg wasp. Apparently when they sting you it really really hurts but it not as deadly as the suzumebachi. Chika said she got stung by one when she was a kid, and just put some disinfectant on it and was fine after a day or so.
Once at the store, I bought a 100 yen bug container to have a closer look at the wasp with it. maybe 15 minutes later I was back home with gloves on and approaching the wasp hut with the container in hand.

The giant mantis approaches its prey

Lifted the top brick, daylight hit the wasp and just as I was about to catch it with the container I saw how it crawled out of the net !!!! through a hole that it had made by biting into the net. Really??? As soon as I saw the wasp was not behind the net anymore I jumped back and saw how it flew away. Phew, lucky it didn't go for revenge. I mended the net and hoped the wasped would be scared away.
The next day I noticed there was a wasp at the ajisai. Again it was very inquisitive. This time I would not try to catch it alive. Just catch and kill it. Got the net. Shiver shiver. Goosebumps. Where did the wasp go? It was just here a second ago. Slowly walking around the ajisai. Ah! saw it sitting on one of the leafs. Slowly slowly getting closer with the net and caught it! And stomp on it a couple of times and a few more for good measure. Remove the net, continue stomping. OK, looks dead. Hooray. Tora was very interested in what I was doing and followed me in when I went back inside. Had a drink of water and played with its friends a bit and figured a few minutes later that outside was more fun. Started nagging at me that he wanted to go out again.

I gave it an offering to save Tora's life.

Oh all right, out with you. Since the two kittens are not supposed to go out but they come rushing as soon as a door opens I quickly opened the kitchen door and Tora went out. Closed the door just in time for Oreo to miss his chance and almost crash with his nose into the door as he was rushing. He was joined by Mini and both of them stood there and looked out from the mesh in the door. With Tora outside I glaced out and lo and behold, came face to face with another wasp. It was flying just outside of the mesh. Hmm... so there were more than one. I was going to fetch the net and go out to catch it too (somehow I got real brave suddenly) but stopped as I heard tiny steps on the kitchen door. I listened closer and it sounded like it came from inside the walls, like mice steps. More listening and it came from INSIDE the metal door. Sounded like scraping. The kittens also noticed it and were sniffing at the door where the sound originated. I looked out and the wasp that was flying there headed for the ajisai to rest I guess. Good, now was my chance to approach it. But wonder what that sound was inside the door. We don't have rats, yet. I guess it is one of those giant spiders that pay us a visit from time to time. They are experts in crawling inside walls and tiny holes, and I bet it has found a little space within the door frame where it is now running around. The kittens will have to deal with it if it decides to come in.
Off we go out to catch the 2nd wasp on the ajisai. Did not see any flying, and there was none on the ajisai so maybe it went away. Let's have a look at the door in the meantime. Oh my! There is this wasp with its head stuck in the door (I guess just as I closed it) and its butt and legs outside, and pulling and trying to free itself. OK, at least now I know what the loud tapping and scratching came from. Wow, if the kittens weren't there I would have not closed the door so quickly and the wasp would surely have been inside stinging away...Phew!
Just then the missing wasp came flying past and on a reflex I raised the net and caught it. Stomp stomp. Seems dead now so I didn't overdo the stomping. Instead went for the one stuck in the door. Put the net on top of it, open the door just a half millimeter so it can get its head out and slide the net down to ground to be able to stomp on it. 3 kills in a few minutes. Looked around, no more wasps visible. (Of course I saw more of them fetching water later on but not around the ajisai. If more of them come to investigate that area I need to either cut the ajisai down. I already have a huge ajisai in the backyard anyway, and the shade must be really inviting for them.)
The first wasp was already swarmed by ants trying to recycle it. The two other ones were dead but somewhat still intact, even after me stomping them several times. So I took them in with the container for a photo.

Actually one of them was still moving... maybe reflex

Not huge but the biggest I have seen so far. Big enough for me to run away

I read that they are not very aggressive and that they actually eat caterpillars and larvae so it is good to have them around if I go back to my usual avoid strategy.
But I cannot avoid them if they are in my daily path to the garden, i.e. where the ajisai is. So I will try to not kill more of them. But have to somehow steer them away from that path.