‘Murder Hornets’ Spotted In US – What Does It Really Mean?
What sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, is actually happening. Now only are we in a pandemic, but now we have to worry about murder hornets. The hits just keep coming, don't they?
So, what is the real threat here? Most of it affects our bee population. We already have a bee crisis as their numbers are decreasing due to climate change. Bees are a very important part of our agricultural ecosystem. According to the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).
Asian giant hornet attacks and destroys honeybee hives. A few hornets can destroy a hive in a matter of hours. The hornets enter a "slaughter phase" where they kill bees by decapitating them...They then defend the hive as their own, taking the brood to feed their own young. They also attack other insects but are not known to destroy entire populations of those insects.
These hornets's are no joke, they're even strong enough to puncture through a beekeeper’s suit. It is believed that the hornets arrived in Washington state back in December and officials are unsure of how the arrived in the states. The fear is that they will begin to migrate to other parts of the US.
What is the threat to humans? While normally they are very non aggressive towards humans and pets. If provoked, their venomous sting can kill humans if stung multiple times. Here is the warning that was put out in Washington State.
[Washington State Department of Agriculture]