In the past several days, photographs and videos have surfaced the internet, showing how viciously the insect has attacked honeybees. Government agencies and local barkeepers have sprung into action, hoping to eradicate the hornet before it can consolidate a foothold in the continent.
The Asian giant hornet is a large insect with a potent sting. The queens can grow up to two inches long, and their quarter-inch stingers can pierce standard beekeeping attire. Scientists say its life cycle begins in April, which is when the queen wakes up from hibernation and scouts out spots to build underground nests and grow colonies.
The Smithsonian says that the hornets are voracious predators, capable of massacring entire honey bee hives in just a matter of hours, decapitating thousands of the hive's adult bees. As the name suggests, the hornets are native to Asia, but towards the end of 2019, they were reported to be seen in North America for the first time.
The four confirmed sightings of the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) in the United States, along with two more in Canada, occurred between September and December 2019. The sightings in the U.S. were all individual hornets, but in September a nest was found and destroyed on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Takatoshi Ueno, an entomologist at Kyushu University, said he was mystified by the hornet's appearance on the American West Coast. "It's impossible for them to fly over from Asia," he said, adding that they most likely came over in a shipping container. Even that though, would be extraordinarily unlikely, given their aggression, which would have almost certainly drawn the attention of a ship's crew.
The Times' coverage was widely shared, causing many in the United States to add "invasion of the world's largest hornet" to their list of concerns for 2020. But this raises the question: Are these so-called "murder hornets," as some researchers call them, really killers?
Floyd Shockley, the entomology collections manager at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, says "You shouldn't worry about it." He adds that more people die of honey bee stings in the U.S. than die annually, from these hornets. His statistics show that in the U.S., about 60-80 people die from allergic reactions to honey bee stings; only about 40 people die annually in Asia, mostly in Japan, from reactions to the giant hornet stings.
In November 2018, YouTube personality Coyote Peterson showed what the sting is like on his show "Brave Wilderness." The video (included below) shows an "instant goose egg" forming on his arm where the hornet stung.
Researchers say the sting of a "murder hornet" is painful and packed with neurotoxins. Further, even if one is not allergic to the hornet, multiple stings have the potential to kill.
Hornets in Japanese Culture
Long before the Asian giant hornet began terrorising the honeybees of Washington State, the insects sometimes posed a sometimes lethal threat to hikers and farmers in the rural mountains of Japan. In the Chubu region, the hornets are known for their aggression and excruciating sting. They are a pleasant snack and an invigorating ingredient in drinks.
The giant hornet, along with other varieties of wasps, has traditionally been considered a delicacy in the rugged part of Japan.
The larvae are often preserved in jars, pan-fried or steamed with rice, to make a savoury dish called hebo-gohan. The adults can grow to be two inches long, are fried on skewers, singer and all, until the carapace becomes light and crunchy. People say it leaves a warm, tingling sensation when eaten.
The hornets can also give liquor an extra kick. Live specimens are drowned in shochu, a clear distilled beverage. In their death throes, the insects release their venom into the liquid, and it is stored until it turns a dark shade of amber.
In Tokyo, the giant hornet is on the menu at more than 30 restaurants.
Comments