Headlines have been made in the US after the discovery of Asian hornets across the northwest of the States. The hornets, properly known as Vespa mandarinia, get their nickname of murder hornets as they kill an average of 50 people a year.
An Asian hornet’s sting is so powerful and packed with so much venom it can cause victims to go into anaphylactic shock, dying within minutes from being attacked if they are allergic.
Asian Hornets are smaller than native hornets and have distinctive yellow-tipped legs plus a dark brown or black velvety body and dark abdomen.
The hornets, originally from south-east Asia, were first accidentally introduced to France in 2003, and they have made their way to the UK, with the first recorded case in 2016.
The first sightings in the US were recorded in November 2019, and now experts have stated colonies of giant hornets have been located and subsequently exterminated.
Exactly how they made their way to Europe and North America is a bit of a mystery, but experts believe their migration is a result of global trade.
Researchers have said the risk of being killed by an Asian hornet is small, but there nonetheless.
Rather, the insects pose more of a threat to the already dwindling bee species.
Brent Sinclair, a biology professor at Western University, said: “I saw them perched on trees, hawking bees as they came into the hive – much like a sharp-shinned hawk at a bird feeder.
“If they can get into a honey bee hive, and they will, they’ll systematically eat their way through all the brood of a hive within a few days so they are really bad news for beekeepers.
“My understanding is death is not very common.
“Certainly, when I was in China studying with bee researchers, no one discussed them as being dangerous in that sense. However, the risk is there.”
Chris Looney, entomologist Washington State’s Department of Agriculture, told the New York Times all the hornet colonies in the US need to be exterminated within the next two years, or the situation could spiral out of control.
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He said: “This is our window to keep it from establishing.
“If we can’t do it in the next couple of years, it probably can’t be done.
“Don’t try to take them out yourself if you see them.
“If you get into them, run away, then call us! It is really important for us to know of every sighting, if we’re going to have any hope of eradication.”
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