Asian Hornet spotted in the US for the first time

[ballettmaus]

I guess, 2020 wasn't crazy enough already. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/asian-giant-hornet-washington.html

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.

...

But two of the predatory insects were discovered last fall in the northwest corner of Washington State, a few miles north of his property — the first sightings in the United States.

Scientists have since embarked on a full-scale hunt for the hornets, worried that the invaders could decimate bee populations in the United States and establish such a deep presence that all hope for eradication could be lost.

 

[Wyliefan]

Great, just what we needed!

 

[bardtoob]

Giant Asian Hornet vs. Africanized Honey Bees

People fear giant Asian hornets (Vespa mandarinia) and Africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera scutellata), for good reason. Although giant Asian hornets typically don't attack humans unless provoked, a sting from the hornet's 1/4-inch stinger packs enough venom to disintegrate your skin. In ...

animals.mom.me

Scary and gross. That's all.

The positive I saw was:

Japanese honey bees, however, have developed a defense. Recognizing the scent of the scout hornet's locator pheromone, the honey bees swarm the scout, vibrating their bodies to increase the temperature surrounding the hornet to intolerable levels. The heat combined with suffocation ultimately kills the scout so it can never send its message to the colony.