If you are playing Apocalypse bingo, the latest news in the headlines might get you one step closer. It turns out the coronavirus is not the only harmful import from Asia that has arrived in the U.S. Social media and news outlets are buzzing with the news of a dangerous species that originates from Asia.
Asian Giant Murder Hornets
The Asian giant murder hornet originates in southeast Asia and grows up to the size of 2 inches (5 centimeters). On average, the Asian giant murder hornet kills around 40 people in Asia every years. However, the main victim of the murder hornet are bees.
Asian Murder hornets use their sharp, spiked antennas to tear apart entire populations of bees and their beehive. Murder hornets kill bees by biting of their heads with their mandibles. A couple Asian hornets can kill an entire beehive in less than 2 hours. After killing the bees, the Asian hornets eat the bees and their larvae. They bring their leftovers to their baby hornets that stay back at their own nest.
What are murder hornets?
When Asian giant murder hornets attack larger prey, such as humans, they use their stinger which contains venom that is like snake’s. If enough Asian hornets sting you, it can be fatal. The scary part is that Asian giant murder hornets can sting through a metal bee suit.
Where are the murder hornets?
Murder hornets were first reported in Canada last August. They were found in two regions of Canada, Vancouver Island and British Columbia.
Where are murder hornets in US?
At the moment, the only U.S state to report Asian murder hornets is Washington State. Last December, two different Asian hornets were discovered within 10 miles of eachother in Northern Washington State. After the hornets were sent to a lab, it was determined that they did not belong to the same hive.
When do Asian Murder Hornets Live?
Giant Asian hornets usually come alive in April, which is when the queen hornet comes out of hibernation. The queen builds up a nest and populates it with hornets throughout the summer. By the beginning of fall, the queen murder hornet sends out some “worker hornets” to demolish bee hives and bring back food.
Why are Giant Murder Hornets Dangerous?
Asian giant murder hornets are dangerous because they devastate bee populations. The populations of bees have been steadily declining in the U.S since the 1940s. From 1947 to present, the population of honeybees colonies in America have dropped from 6 million to less than 2.5 million.
Bees are extremely important in the U.S because they are the main pollinators for U.S crops. 33% of American crops used for food were pollinated by bees. In monetary terms, bees help provide over $15 Billion of crops in the U.S. Therefore, the Asian murder hornets can have a devastating effect on the U.S economy if they continue to attack beehives.
Because of the threat to bees, the American government is trying very hard to eradicate the presence of giant murder hornets. Most experts believe that this year is the do or die stage. This means that the population of giant murder hornets must be eradicated now, or it will likely increase to an uncontrollable amount in the coming years.
Asian Hornet Sting
In the video below, you can witness youtuber Coyote Peterson getting stung by an Asian Murder Hornet. His arm completely swells up from the murder hornet sting and he can barely talk.
Asian giant hornet sting Coyote Peterson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZUAFNkdydg
