‘Murder Hornets’ in the U.S.: The Rush to Stop the Asian Giant Hornet

[Steven P. Administrators]

Erm 

Quote

 

 

BLAINE, Wash. — In his decades of beekeeping, Ted McFall had never seen anything like it.

 

As he pulled his truck up to check on a group of hives near Custer, Wash., in November, he could spot from the window a mess of bee carcasses on the ground. As he looked closer, he saw a pile of dead members of the colony in front of a hive and more carnage inside — thousands and thousands of bees with their heads torn from their bodies and no sign of a culprit.

 

“I couldn’t wrap my head around what could have done that,” Mr. McFall said.

 

Only later did he come to suspect that the killer was what some researchers simply call the “murder hornet.”

 

With queens that can grow to two inches long, Asian giant hornets can use mandibles shaped like spiked shark fins to wipe out a honeybee hive in a matter of hours, decapitating the bees and flying away with the thoraxes to feed their young. For larger targets, the hornet’s potent venom and stinger — long enough to puncture a beekeeping suit — make for an excruciating combination that victims have likened to hot metal driving into their skin.

 

In Japan, the hornets kill up to 50 people a year. Now, for the first time, they have arrived in the United States.

 

Source and more:  The New York Times

 

 

Thanks 2020, as if it didn't suck enough already!

 

[spaceelf]

Nice.

[Jim K Global Moderator]

"long enough to puncture a beekeeping suit"

 

Well, maybe these creatures will convince people to stay indoors.  

 

Though 2020 needs a serious CTRL+ALT+DEL

 

[Marujan]

Covid > Hornets > Mosquitos > Ticks

 

Nuclear Rats soon ?

 

 

 

[JustGeorge]

How did they arrive here?

[redfish]

 

[redfish]

1 hour ago, Jim K said:

"long enough to puncture a beekeeping suit"

 

Well, maybe these creatures will convince people to stay indoors.  

 

Though 2020 needs a serious CTRL+ALT+DEL

 

We need models forecasting the number of murder hornet related deaths, and CDC guidelines. If people aren't scared enough, just multiply the estimates x10 based on worst-case scenarios.

[mudslag]

We haven't even reached 6 months into 2020, the rest of this year is going to be a blast.

[FloatingFatMan]

I'm sorry, America... but if those things have reached you, there's only one solution.

 

[forster]

As if there wasn’t enough nightmare fuel in the world already, how dare you! 😥😥😥

[exotoxic]

3 hours ago, FloatingFatMan said:

I'm sorry, America... but if those things have reached you, there's only one solution.

We have them in the UK https://www.gov.uk/government/news/asian-hornet-uk-sightings-in-2018

[FloatingFatMan]

1 hour ago, exotoxic said:

We have them in the UK https://www.gov.uk/government/news/asian-hornet-uk-sightings-in-2018

...

 

 

[spaceelf]

19 hours ago, JustGeorge said:

How did they arrive here?

I'm assuming on murder boats.

[+Raze Subscriber²]

21 hours ago, JustGeorge said:

How did they arrive here?

On a slow boat from China Japan.

[+DonC Subscriber²]

13 hours ago, exotoxic said:

We have them in the UK https://www.gov.uk/government/news/asian-hornet-uk-sightings-in-2018

I was concerned when I went to that page and the first line that jumped out at me was:

Quote

Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home)

... and then I realised that was related to Covid-19.

[FloatingFatMan]

7 hours ago, DonC said:

I was concerned when I went to that page and the first line that jumped out at me was:

... and then I realised that was related to Covid-19.

Trust me, if those things ARE around here, I'm never going outside again!  I'm deathly allergic to wasp stings and god knows what an Asian hornet would do to me!  Wasps are bad tempered.... Hornets are EVIL!

[Steven P. Administrators]

Here's another pic if you still needed to understand the scale:

[He's Dead Jim]

The poor wee beasties, they're just a product of nature...

[FloatingFatMan]

11 minutes ago, He's Dead Jim said:

The poor wee beasties, they're just a product of nature...

The only thing "wee" about these beasties, is the stuff dribbling down my leg...

 

[Steven P. Administrators]

This just in!

 

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

On 5/3/2020 at 5:49 PM, Steven P. said:

 

 

Why is Rick Grimes picture used in the article?