OT: Murder Hornets!?

[Peacefrog]

Looks Like The U.S. Might Have 'Murder Hornets' Now

Asian giant hornets can kill people with their stings and are devastating to honey bee populations.

www.yahoo.com

"their heads ripped off ― the murder hornet’s signature move. "

And you thought sharks were bad; prepare for death from above.

 

[ZenConn]

Then we need to bring over the Japanese honey bees.

These Bees Protect Their Nest From Giant Hornets By Cooking Them Alive

Amazing defense mechanism.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[superjohn]

That's what Charlotte should've named the team.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

close earth

 

[HooperScooper]

Yeah I saw this article yesterday and said W-T-F.

Tracking the Murder Hornet: A deadly pest has reached North America

BLAINE, Wash. — In his decades of beekeeping, Ted McFall had never seen anything like it.

www.boston.com

 

[DCHuskyFan]

Imminent and repelling Cicada Invasion 2020 for us here in VA. These plagues are positively biblical.

Brood IX (9) will emerge in 2020 in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia

Periodical cicada Brood IX (9) emerged in the spring of 2020 in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. The last time this brood emerged was in 2003. It will emerge again in 2037. Researchers need your help! If you see a cicada, please report it using the Cicada Safari App , available for...

www.cicadamania.com

 

[Mr. French]

I can get 'em off in 8-10 on manslaughter ... doesn't help having "murder" in their name though, jury won't look kindly on that.

 

[Dove]

I can get 'em off in 8-10 on manslaughter ... doesn't help having "murder" in their name though, jury won't look kindly on that.

Then pummel the jury with Vespa mandarinia. Sounds better.

 

[Mr. French]

Then pummel the jury with Vespa mandarinia. Sounds better.

View attachment 53875

throw in Japonica and you might get off scot-free.

 

[Watchdog]

We have these in our area and they make bumble bees look small too. Saw one hovering near a flowering plant and first thought it was a humming bird. Turns out it's an Eastern Cicada killer and here's one doing its job.

 

[phillionaire]

 

[JohnFSilver]

Looks Like The U.S. Might Have 'Murder Hornets' Now

Asian giant hornets can kill people with their stings and are devastating to honey bee populations.

www.yahoo.com

"their heads ripped off ― the murder hornet’s signature move. "

And you thought sharks were bad; prepare for death from above.

The NY Times story on these hornets is outstanding.

 

[HooperScooper]

The NY Times story on these hornets is outstanding.

Yeah, the one I linked above is the first one. It's an interesting read. the second article I saw on this from the NY Times is linked here.

The so-called murder hornets, which have surfaced for the first time in the United States, have a particular appetite for bees and specialize in group attacks. The slaughter begins when a worker hornet spots a colony, marks it with a pheromone and then brings a backup crew of between two and 50 others. While a honeybee hive can have thousands of residents, hornets can wipe out the entire population in hours.

During one recorded slaughter examined by researchers, each hornet killed one bee every 14 seconds, using powerful mandibles to decapitate its prey.

Murder hornets vs. honeybees: A swarm of bees can cook invaders alive

SEATTLE — When a pack of Asian giant hornets targets a hive of honeybees for slaughter, the carnage can be swift.

www.boston.com

 

[Fishy]

Here's the thing...it's not like regular hornets are any picnic.

I, for one, welcome the challenge.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Here's the thing...it's not like regular hornets are any picnic.

I, for one, welcome the challenge.

Had a real bad experience with some white faced hornets as a kid. Was in the backyard hitting some baseballs and one of the baseballs hit a nest of hornets. I went to get the ball and got nailed with about 15-20 stings in arms and legs. Screaming like a bitch and doing the stop, drop and roll. With this being in the early 80's there was no going to the doctor or ER. Mom cut an onion in half and started rubbing it all over the bites. That night when dad came home from workhe soaked a t-shirt in gas tied it to a pole and we watched all the hornets fly in to the nest and then we lit the torch and torched the nest.

 

[huskymedic]

Had a real bad experience with some white faced hornets as a kid. Was in the backyard hitting some baseballs and one of the baseballs hit a nest of hornets. I went to get the ball and got nailed with about 15-20 stings in arms and legs. Screaming like a bitch and doing the stop, drop and roll. With this being in the early 80's there was no going to the doctor or ER. Mom cut an onion in half and started rubbing it all over the bites. That night when dad came home from workhe soaked a t-shirt in gas tied it to a pole and we watched all the hornets fly in to the nest and then we lit the torch and torched the nest.

Righteous eye for an eye!

 

[Edward Sargent]

Had a real bad experience with some white faced hornets as a kid. Was in the backyard hitting some baseballs and one of the baseballs hit a nest of hornets. I went to get the ball and got nailed with about 15-20 stings in arms and legs. Screaming like a bitch and doing the stop, drop and roll. With this being in the early 80's there was no going to the doctor or ER. Mom cut an onion in half and started rubbing it all over the bites. That night when dad came home from workhe soaked a t-shirt in gas tied it to a pole and we watched all the hornets fly in to the nest and then we lit the torch and torched the nest.

Did the same thing except I was playing football and caught a sideline pass and fell into a bush. Thought I was in a briar patch, but no it was yellow jackets. I stripped to my birthday suit while my buddies all told me to run then make a cut because they cant see side ways so I did and of course bees can see 360. Counted 46 stings and you guessed it one on Unit 1!

 

[HuskyHawk]

Had a real bad experience with some white faced hornets as a kid. Was in the backyard hitting some baseballs and one of the baseballs hit a nest of hornets. I went to get the ball and got nailed with about 15-20 stings in arms and legs. Screaming like a bitch and doing the stop, drop and roll. With this being in the early 80's there was no going to the doctor or ER. Mom cut an onion in half and started rubbing it all over the bites. That night when dad came home from workhe soaked a t-shirt in gas tied it to a pole and we watched all the hornets fly in to the nest and then we lit the torch and torched the nest.

I always have 2-3 cans of that hornet/wasp jet spray on hand now. Soak that nest at range, then torch it at night.

When I was a stupid kid my friend Joe and I took out a ton of them using nothing but a garden hose a can of Final Net and a lighter. The hair spray does double duty, knocks them out of the air for a couple of minutes and when they hit the ground it becomes a handy flame thrower.

 

[Peacefrog]

Had a real bad experience with some white faced hornets as a kid. Was in the backyard hitting some baseballs and one of the baseballs hit a nest of hornets. I went to get the ball and got nailed with about 15-20 stings in arms and legs. Screaming like a bitch and doing the stop, drop and roll. With this being in the early 80's there was no going to the doctor or ER. Mom cut an onion in half and started rubbing it all over the bites. That night when dad came home from workhe soaked a t-shirt in gas tied it to a pole and we watched all the hornets fly in to the nest and then we lit the torch and torched the nest.

I've had a couple of similar experiences that involved a dozen + stings. One was a simple walk in the woods and apparently I stepped on a subterranean nest. I felt a burning sensation on my arm and looked down and I was covered in hornets. The other time I kind of deserved it. I spotted an underground nest in my yard and enjoyed harassing them by driving over it with my tractor. In subsequent weeks I would push my luck by making additional passes. One week I went to far and on about the fourth drive over the nest they were waiting. I had to jump off the still moving tractor and make a run for it.

After that last incident I decided to move beyond harassment and destroy the nest. I tried all kinds of sprays, foams, smokes etc... None of them worked. My wife found an interesting approach. Apparently there are usually two holes into/out of the nest but they only use one. You monitor the nest to see which hole they use then put a glass bowl over it. You then get to observe as they buzz around in the bowl and eventually die after a 2-3 days. They refuse to save themselves by using the other opening. Fascinating.

 

[UConnRock]

Yeah, the one I linked above is the first one. It's an interesting read. the second article I saw on this from the NY Times is linked here.

The so-called murder hornets, which have surfaced for the first time in the United States, have a particular appetite for bees and specialize in group attacks. The slaughter begins when a worker hornet spots a colony, marks it with a pheromone and then brings a backup crew of between two and 50 others. While a honeybee hive can have thousands of residents, hornets can wipe out the entire population in hours.

During one recorded slaughter examined by researchers, each hornet killed one bee every 14 seconds, using powerful mandibles to decapitate its prey.

Murder hornets vs. honeybees: A swarm of bees can cook invaders alive

SEATTLE — When a pack of Asian giant hornets targets a hive of honeybees for slaughter, the carnage can be swift.

www.boston.com

Sounds like an easy fix.....capture the worker hornet and duplicate the pheromone and attract all the bees to one location. May I suggest Syracuse

 

[mussels]

Apparently there are usually two holes into/out of the nest but they only use one. You monitor the nest to see which hole they use then put a glass bowl over it. You then get to observe as they buzz around in the bowl and eventually die after a 2-3 days. They refuse to save themselves by using the other opening. Fascinating.

Not sure about that. Remember watching them go into the ground one time as a kid. Observed for a few minutes, and then came to the obvious conclusion that plugging the hole with a stick would be a good idea. It didn't end well.

 

[formerlurker]

Deadly Hornet Massacres a Mouse on Video, They're Huge

A purported murder hornet took out a mouse within a matter of seconds.

www.tmz.com

 

[Peacefrog]

Not sure about that. Remember watching them go into the ground one time as a kid. Observed for a few minutes, and then came to the obvious conclusion that plugging the hole with a stick would be a good idea. It didn't end well.

All I know is after a few days the ground under the bowl was strewn with dozens of dead yellow jackets and there was never any further activity in the nest.

 

[Edward Sargent]

All I know is after a few days the ground under the bowl was strewn with dozens of dead yellow jackets and there was never any further activity in the nest.

The other hole was probably plugged

 

[Peacefrog]

The other hole was probably plugged

Nope. It was close by and seemed available for egress. I just checked and found an article that says to cover all holes. All I know is we just covered one and it worked. Unless the second hole was plugged underground. Seems unlikely but who knows.

Now that I'm in the south I have been battling these carpenter bees that are perforating my deck. I don't remember having these in CT.