People in the U.S. have another reason to stay in the house, as the highly aggressive Giant Asian Hornet has invaded Washington State. The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) confirmed the first sightings of the venomous hornets in the United States in December 2019. Giant hornet populations have been decimating beehives, as a few hornets can destroy a beehive in hours. The WSDA has issued an advisory.
Use extreme caution near Asian giant hornets. The stinger of the Asian giant hornet is longer than that of a honeybee and the venom is more toxic than any local bee or wasp. Typical beekeeping protective clothing is not sufficient to protect you from stings. If you find a colony, do not attempt to remove or eradicate it. Report it to WSDA immediately. Anyone who is allergic to bee or wasp stings should never approach an Asian giant hornet.”
WSDA
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Giant Asian Hornet stings are extremely painful and cause 30-50 deaths in Japan every year. Hornet venom contains mandaratoxin, a neurotoxin, and stings have caused kidney failure, anaphylactic shock, and multiple organ failure in extreme cases. Those who have been stung by the hornet say it “feels like having a hot nail punched into you.”
These “murder hornets” are 2 inches long, and will be extremely detrimental to honeybee populations in the U.S. Japanese bee populations have developed defense mechanisms to limit damage from Giant Asian Hornets, but it is unlikely honeybees will be able to evolve coping mechanisms in time.
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Sources
- Great, Now Invasive ‘Murder Hornets’ Are a Thing to Worry About – Earther
- ‘Murder Hornet’, Invasive Insect From Asia, Spotted in U.S. for the First Time – Interesting Engineering