While photographing a nest of European hornets (Vespa crabro) high up in a tree, I suddenly noticed a large white grub being pulled out of the nest by a worker. For a few moments it was hanging there, then it was let go and fell to the ground. I searched the grass and found it. It was one of their larvae and had been injured by the fall. Possibly the larva was sick, or it had been fed by the workers, but did not return the rewarding sugary secretion that sustains the workers. I used a reflective screen to illuminate the inside of the hive. Many people fear hornets due to them being larger than wasps. In recent years, the Dutch news has published many fear mongering articles about the presence of the invasive Asian hornet, which harms the public opinion on the native hornet species as well. More positive publicity is urgently needed to preserve this species, which is an important predator of many insects, including pest insects such as mosquitoes and flies.