The Deadly Asian Giant Hornet: A Growing Threat to Humans and Honeybees

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the Asian giant hornet, its potential threat to humans and honeybees, and the implications of its presence in the U.S. Participants express fears, share information about the hornet's characteristics, and compare it to other invasive species, particularly "crazy ants." The conversation includes personal anecdotes, emotional reactions, and speculative thoughts on the ecological impact of these insects.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express fear of the Asian giant hornet, citing its deadly venom and potential for causing harm to humans.
  • Others share personal anecdotes about their irrational fears of flying, stinging insects, and express a desire to avoid encounters with the hornet.
  • One participant mentions that the hornets can be killed by heating them to 115 degrees Fahrenheit, humorously suggesting a connection to global warming.
  • Another participant raises concerns about a different invasive species, the "crazy ants," which have displaced fire ants and pose their own threats.
  • Descriptions of the crazy ants include their omnivorous diet and aggressive behavior, with some participants sharing disturbing observations of their feeding habits.
  • Some participants note that Japanese honey bees have developed a method to kill giant hornets, while American honey bees do not have this capability.
  • Links to external sources and images are shared to provide additional context and information about the hornets and ants.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express fear and concern regarding the Asian giant hornet, but there is no consensus on the level of threat it poses compared to other invasive species like crazy ants. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best course of action or the implications of these species on local ecosystems.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various sources and personal experiences, but there are limitations in the depth of scientific discussion regarding the ecological impacts and interactions between species. Some claims about the hornet's behavior and the effectiveness of honey bees are not fully substantiated within the thread.

zoobyshoe
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Well, here's something awful. What you are seeing below are four Chinese wasps and from now on, you will see them in your nightmares, because that's where they belong. Sadly, they also belong in the waking world, and they're becoming a very serious problem. Scientists think that global warming may be contributing to their increased numbers, which wouldn't be so bad if these things weren't actually deadly. The Guardian reports that at least 28 people have died and many more injured by waves of these terror creatures, which can fly about 25 miles an hour. Their venom wreaks havoc on your kidneys and can send you into anaphylactic shock.

Oh, and they've been spotted in Illinois. Sleep tight ...
Go here to see the horrible picture:
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/slices/asian-giant-hornets-worst-thing-world

Apparently these are real. Wiki has an article about them, anyway.
 
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zoobyshoe said:
Go here to see the horrible picture:
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/slices/asian-giant-hornets-worst-thing-world

Apparently these are real. Wiki has an article about them, anyway.

This ruined my day. Flying, stinging insects are my only irrational fear. I just got an adrenaline rush from looking at that picture. If they make it to New England, I authorize anyone to euthanize me preemptively.
 
zoobyshoe said:
Go here to see the horrible picture:
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/slices/asian-giant-hornets-worst-thing-world

Apparently these are real. Wiki has an article about them, anyway.

FlexGunship said:
This ruined my day. Flying, stinging insects are my only irrational fear. I just got an adrenaline rush from looking at that picture. If they make it to New England, I authorize anyone to euthanize me preemptively.

I've done some research. They can be killed by heating them to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm officially in favor of ramping up global warming.
 
Those don't scare me that much. What scares me are a new invader to the southern US. It's a tiny, tiny little ant. I haven't seen a single active fire ant mound for over six months. This new invasive species that some call "crazy ants" have chased the older invasive fire ants away.
 
Looking at those things...I'd say that's a rational fear if ever there was one.
 
D H said:
Those don't scare me that much. What scares me are a new invader to the southern US.

You clearly don't know what to be scared of.

Crazy Ants said:
The ants are about 0.125 in (3.2 mm) and are covered with reddish-brown hairs. The colonies have multiple queens.[3] They tend aphids for honeydew, feed on small insects and vertebrates, and forage on plants, especially for sweet materials.

Asian Giant Hornet said:
The stinger of the Asian giant hornet is about 6 mm (¼ in) in length,[3] and injects an especially potent venom that contains, like many bee and wasp venoms, a cytolytic peptide (specifically, a mastoparan) that can damage tissue by stimulating phospholipase action,[4] in addition to its own intrinsic phospholipase.[5] Masato Ono, an entomologist at Tamagawa University near Tokyo, described the sensation as feeling "like a hot nail being driven into my leg".

The ant likes sweet plants like honeydew. The hornet drinks the blood of the innocent.

(sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_giant_hornet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasberry_crazy_ant)
 
Crazy ants feed on *anything*. They are omnivores. I've seen on one of my walks with my dogs a horde of crazy ants eating a still-alive water moccasin from the inside out. *That* gave me the heeby-jeebies. They eat electrical components. They invade houses. Nothing kills them.
 
D H said:
Crazy ants feed on *anything*. They are omnivores. I've seen on one of my walks with my dogs a horde of crazy ants eating a still-alive water moccasin from the inside out. *That* gave me the heeby-jeebies. They eat electrical components. They invade houses. Nothing kills them.

But...

http://www.blogcdn.com/travel.aol.co.uk/media/2013/09/xhornet1.jpg.pagespeed.ic.IiEQnn1akp.jpg
 
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Beedrills are real...
 
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  • #11
D H said:
Crazy ants feed on *anything*. They are omnivores. I've seen on one of my walks with my dogs a horde of crazy ants eating a still-alive water moccasin from the inside out. *That* gave me the heeby-jeebies. They eat electrical components. They invade houses. Nothing kills them.

I have been very seeing small little ants for several years now. The first time I really noticed them they were devouring a pack rat bit by tiny bit. I had caught the rat one night in a trap and before I checked the trap the next morning the ants were totally covering it.

I let the situation go just to see the outcome. It was obvious that the ants were entering every orifice of the rat and also eating it from the inside out. There was no odor even on the second day, and definitely no flies or maggots.

By the end of the second day there was nothing left but fur and bones.
 
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  • #12
Enigman said:
Beedrills are real...

I'm buying Pokeballs as we speak.
 
  • #13
You want to dance, hornets? Let's dance.
 
  • #14
FreeMitya said:
You want to dance, hornets? Let's dance.

You dance with the http://www.gossipcop.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/98778_seth-rogen-attends-the-premiere-of-funny-people-in-hollywood-on-july-20-2009.jpg, I will handle the Wasp...

wasp-in-the-avengers.jpg
 
  • #15
tumblr_m3vmx5Tykj1qzi80do1_400.gif
 
  • #16
I want to stress that's it's very important to me that I never see one of these hornets in person.
 
  • #17
I don't want the hornets or the ants...thankyouverymuch.
 
  • #18
We have bees, wasps, hornets, fire ants, blister beetles, asp caterpillars, scorpions, centipedes, Texas brown tarantulas, banana spiders, black widows, brown recluses, rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths, coral snakes, sting rays, jellyfish, and Portuguese man–of–wars.

What's one more poisonous pest?
 
  • #19
Here's the good news:

...Asian giant hornets are hunters of other large predatory insects like mantises and smaller (i.e. all other) hornets.
So, you're not likely to incur their wrath unless you're already messing with a hornet's nest, a bee hive, or trying to catch a preying mantis.

The average yellow jacket is much easier to fall afoul of: they are attracted to anything sweet and tend to cloud around garbage cans where there are pop cups, fruit rinds, and candy wrappers.

Japanese honey bees, incidentally, have developed a way to kill the giant hornet. American honey bees lack this tactic.

http://ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/the-worlds-largest-hornet/
 
  • #20
zoobyshoe said:
Here's the good news:


So, you're not likely to incur their wrath unless you're already messing with a hornet's nest, a bee hive, or trying to catch a preying mantis.

The average yellow jacket is much easier to fall afoul of: they are attracted to anything sweet and tend to cloud around garbage cans where there are pop cups, fruit rinds, and candy wrappers.

Japanese honey bees, incidentally, have developed a way to kill the giant hornet. American honey bees lack this tactic.

http://ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/the-worlds-largest-hornet/

Fascinating link zoobyshoe. Thanks much, my grandson will love this
 
  • #21
zoobyshoe said:
Japanese honey bees, incidentally, have developed a way to kill the giant hornet. American honey bees lack this tactic.

I'll be holding an American honeybee tactics and strategy course. Don't worry... we'll get 'em boys!

zoobyshoe said:
http://ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/the-worlds-largest-hornet/

It's taxonomic name is Vespa mandarinia?

http://vespa-mania.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Piaggio-Vespa-LX125-Review1.jpg
 
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