![]() ![]() The scientists put on thick suits to protect themselves from hornet stings. The tree had a nest about the size of a basketball inside of it. The tracker led them to a tree in Blaine, Washington. After catching another hornet, they attached a tracker to it, and released it (above).Īfter catching another hornet, they attached a tracker to it, and released it. They put out hundreds of traps across the area. When the first Asian giant hornet was spotted in Washington last December, scientists worked quickly to find out where it came from. ![]() They take the other body parts of the bees home to feed their young. Together, the hornets attack the hive, tearing off each bee’s head with their mandibles. When a hornet finds a beehive, it marks the hive with a special chemical. Asian giant hornets have sharp mandibles – claw-like pincers – that allow them to tear the heads off of honeybees and other insects. The reason they’re called murder hornets is because they can quickly destroy large numbers of bees or other insects. (Source: Yasunori Koide, via Wikimedia Commons.) In Japan, a few dozen people die every year after getting multiple stings. Still, it’s true that they have a wicked stinger, and their poison is painful. But the hornets don’t usually attack humans, unless the humans are bothering them. Some people call these insects “murder hornets”. With their light, strong wings, they can fly up to 20 miles (32 kilometers) per hour. The hornets have large eyes and are striped like tigers. They’re about the size of an adult’s thumb, but queens can grow as large as 2 inches (5 centimeters) long. Now they’re reporting that the nest held nearly 200 queens – insects capable of going out and starting even more nests.Īsian giant hornets are the world’s largest hornets. In late October, scientists in Washington state destroyed the first nest of Asian giant hornets found in the US. If the hornets spread through the US, they could wipe out huge numbers of bees, which could cause real problems for plants and farmers. Now they’re reporting that the nest held nearly 200 queens – insects capable of going out and starting even more nests.Įntomologists in Washington are working very hard to get rid of these hornets, which are from Asia, not North America. Retiring after 36 years as a professor at U of G, Otis now serves as an adjunct professor in the School of Environmental Sciences and is available for interviews.In late October, scientists in Washington state destroyed the first nest of Asian giant hornets found in the US. Otis has spoken to several media outlets about the hornets, including T he Globe and Mail, The Canadian Press, NewsTalk 1010 in Toronto, CHED Radio in Edmonton and WOOD TV in Michigan. He added he believes the hornet would not survive well in many colder parts of Canada but that it could establish itself in warmer areas, such as southern Ontario or the northeastern U.S. The wasps will arrive by the dozens at a honeybee colony and “just slaughter” the adult bees - not to eat them but to get at their honey and bee larvae. “In late summer and fall they search for other social insects to eat, and honeybee colonies are perfect because there’s a massive amount of food in the a hive to sustain the hornet colony for many days,” he said. Speaking to several CBC Radio stations across Canada on Tuesday, Otis said the hornets see honeybee hives as a food source. “Disturbing that many hornets that are about the size of your thumb and that have about 20 times the venom of a honeybee sting, is not a good scene,” he said, adding: “I did get stung - once – and can vouch that is it extremely painful.” Otis said most people who encounter single hornets when they are foraging away from their nest would not be in any danger, but if someone were to disturb their nest in the ground, they could come face to face with 500-1,000 of them at once. Both hornets are similar in size and behaviour - including their tendency to attack honeybee colonies. While working on beekeeping projects in north central Vietnam on a project funded by the National Geographic Society, he studied a sister species hornet called Vespa soror. Gard Otis is an expert in honeybee biology and insect ecology with U of G’s School of Environmental Sciences With reports that so-called “murder hornets,” officially known as Asian giant hornets ( Vespa mandarinia), have arrived in North America, the University of Guelph has an expert who can offer commentary. ![]()
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