Man 2020 just gon’ keep handing out L’s, huh? Scientists report Asian giant hornets, often referred to as “murder hornets,” have been spotted in theUnited States for the first time.
These giant hornets are known for their freakish eyes and venomous sting. Scientists say the first spotting was in Washington state, according to CNN.
At more than 2 inches long, they’re the world’s largest hornets with a sting that can kill humans if stung multiple times, according to experts at Washington State University. Researches have nicknamed them “murder hornets,” for that reason.
“They’re like something out of a monster cartoon with this huge yellow-orange face,” Susan Cobey, a bee breeder at the Washington State University’s department of entomology, said recently.
Scientists are trying to determine how these giant hornets, which are native to Asia, ended up in Washington state.
These hornets are sometimes transported in international cargo — in some cases deliberately, according to Seth Truscott with WSU’s college of agricultural, human and natural resource sciences.
The giant hornet was first spotted in the state back in December, and scientists believe it started becoming active again last month, when queens emerge from hibernation to build nests and form colonies.
“Hornets are most destructive in the late summer and early fall, when they are on the hunt for sources of protein to raise next year’s queens,” Truscott said on the WSU’s Insider. “They attack honey bee hives, killing adult bees and devouring bee larvae and pupae, while aggressively defending the occupied colony. Their stings are big and painful, with a potent neurotoxin. Multiple stings can kill humans, even if they are not allergic.”
Officials are asking beekeepers and residents to report any sightings of the giant hornets but cautions people to not get too close. Its sting can penetrate a regular beekeeper’s suit and state scientists had to order special suits because of that.
The hornets are apparently most destructive in the late summer and fall when they attack bees.
We’ll keep you posted on any updates.
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