Giant Asian Hornets Are Killing People In China, Breeding In Larger Numbers: Reports

[marmar]

What's the buzz about giant Asian hornets? They'll kill you painfully and thoroughly -- and they've been reported in the U.S.

Climate change might be contributing to a global rise in insect numbers. As if that weren't bad enough, some of the bugs that appear to be benefitting from that population surge are giant Asian hornets that are killing people unfortunate enough to disturb them.



According to The Guardian, at least "28 people have died and hundreds have been injured in a wave of attacks by giant hornets in central China." The hornets, also known as Vespa mandarinia, have reportedly "chased (victims) for hundreds of meters... and stung (them) as many as 200 times." .....................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/giant-asian-hornets-killing-people-china_n_4023249.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news

[Brickbat]

1. I've been stung once in my life by anything, and it was a bald-faced hornet.

Hurt like a motherfucker. I can't imagine being stung by one of those bastards. It must feel like getting stabbed.

[daleanime]

2. I can never sleep again......

[marmar]

4. Sorry about that.

[daleanime]

8. Not your fault that buzzing things freak me out....

but these images maybe our best advertisement against global warming.

[orpupilofnature57]

3. Plum Island working on our debt ?

[Uncle Joe]

5. Damn, those are giants!

Thanks for the thread, marmar.

[pinboy3niner]

6. Apparently they have also taken over the House of Representatives...

[derby378]

7. Paging Skittles, come in, Skittles...

We need you to kick the ass of anyone who even thinks of bringing these winged bastards to our shores.

[City Lights]

9. Holy shit!

[kelliekat44]

10. These are the unsung weapons of mass destruction. We should be preparing right now to fight

them off.

[Lasher]

11. Hey, those four are queens.

You're not likely to get stung by one of those. Here is a picture of the workers/soldiers that are attacking people:



Still pretty big though.

[hollowdweller]

19. That's not a lot bigger than those german hornets.

We had a huge nest of them 2 years ago in our wall. They kept getting inside and flying around till we found the inside hole and plugged it up.

I live in an old farmhouse and there's just the siding over the studs, and no insulation except where we put it. Well there was a hole on the outside and they set up shop in one of the areas with no insulation.

The german ones are big but really pretty docile, we were never stung but we did see one take down a hummingbird once.

We just watched them all summer it was so interesting.

The weird thing about the german hornets were they were nocturnal feeding.

Just about dusk they would pour out of the hole and fly up to the security light when it would come on. The top 20" of the utility pole the light was on was crawling with them and they would feed, I'm assuming on bugs, for about 3 hours and then they would all fly back in for the night. They also ate fruit too. We had to watch picking figs and pears because they would bore into them.

Overall they were cool.

Wonder if these are really aggressive? Or aggressive only if you disturb them.

I found the bald hornets more defensive but we've had huge nests of them right around our house too and I've only been stung once or twice by them when I was mowing directly under their nest. But we live on a farm and they work on the fly population.

I was always sort of afraid of bees till I moved into this old house. Now I don't even bother to swat them.

[Wilms]

34. Cool post.

Thanks.

[Eleanors38]

12. They aren't green?

[benld74]

13. They LOOK like bad props in a bad SCI-FI movie! DAMN!

[bunnies]

14. Wow. And here I thought the stinkbugs were bad.

[eppur_se_muova]

15. Someone posted this to DU a while back ...

http://www.cracked.com/article_15816_the-5-most-horrifying-bugs-in-world.html

[alittlelark]

16. Gonna start carrying a can of Aquanet hair spray.

Drops flying insects in their tracks.... might take 2+ doses for those big buggers though.....

[Orrex]

21. At least it'll make your hair look nice while they carry you back to the hive

[alittlelark]

22. Are you kidding! Try spraying it on anything w/wings!

They DROP. The weight of that fast drying shit will drop anything w/wings.

[Orrex]

24. Yeah, yeah. Try it and see, drone-bait!

You'll be feeding another generation of these winged monsters before the can hits the ground!

[alittlelark]

28. Like I said it might take 2 sprays... But it WILL take them down !!!

My mom loved the stuff - I know it's qualities. I've used it for flies for years.

I challenge these 'wannabes'. 3 of them, one of me, and one can of old school Aquanet.... lets get it on....

[Orrex]

31. I don't have to outrun the bees

I simply have to outrun you!

[alittlelark]

33. I am in great shape and will be spraying Aquanet behind me !!!

ie; where you are.....

[Orrex]

36. Oh yeah?

Well the jerk store called, and they've run out of you!

[alittlelark]

40. Uh.... kinda aggressive and nasty response

.....why?

[Orrex]

45. It's a Seinfeld reference

Last edited Wed Oct 2, 2013, 08:18 AM - Edit history (1)

George tries to zing a workplace rival with it and fails spectacularly.

Ultimately, the joke is on the person delivering that insult ([font color="red"]ETA: which is to say, me[/font]), because it serves as an unintentional(?) admission that he's been one-upped.

[alittlelark]

55. Sorry for being dense...

...not a big Seinfeld viewer

[RebelOne]

27. Yup, hairspray works all the time.

I have used it on roaches. And I always have plenty of hairspray on hand.

[alittlelark]

30. And it's 'non-toxic' .... maybe, but better than commercial sh^t

It has always worked for me !!

[alittlelark]

32. Hairspray coats any insect in rapid solidifying CEMENT

It is the most logical and effectual method of dealing w/an unwanted insect. AND it is 'FAST DRYING' and 'Long Lasting'.

[MattBaggins]

42. Cement?

I find it coats them in a miniature roaring inferno.

Perhaps you are doing it wrong.

[kentauros]

46. Right. Don't forget the lighter.

Portable flame-thrower

[alittlelark]

56. ...haven't tried that one - but w/those monsters I would!

[TeeYiYi]

51. k+r for the Aquanet tip. ..nt

TYY

[Ian David]

52. Does it work on fruit flies? n/t

[alittlelark]

54. It works on anything w/ wings!

3-5 seconds to DROP.


I would recommend washing the fruit well before eating....

[Rex]

17. SKITTLES KICK THEIR ASSES!

I'm going to sleep with the light on tonight. THANKS!

[geomon666]

18. .

[Taitertots]

20. Damn it! Why can't climate change have any conceivable benefits?

Now we literally have to deal with giant killer hornets. I heard it is going to cause more poison ivy too.

[A HERETIC I AM]

37. You think drowning South Beach isn't a benefit? n/t

[Taitertots]

47. If South Beach is underwater... Would Bayfront Park be underwater too?

I guess Ultra would still be pretty bad ass if it was held in waist deep water.

[JaneyVee]

23. THANKS OBAMA!

[Wilms]

35. Yea. There's that, too. n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

25. yikes!

[octoberlib]

26. Their venom can cause renal failure.

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".[3]

An allergic human stung by the giant hornet may die from an allergic reaction to the venom, but the venom contains a neurotoxin called mandaratoxin (MDTX),[6] a single-chain polypeptide with a molecular weight of approximately 20,000 u,[7] which can be lethal even to people who are not allergic if the dose is sufficient. Each year in Japan, the human death toll caused by Asian giant hornet stings is around 30-40.[8][9][10] Advice in China is that people stung more than 10 times need medical help, and emergency treatment for more than 30 stings. The stings can cause renal failure.[11]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_giant_hornet

[ThoughtCriminal]

29. Nuke it! Nuke it from orbit!

It's the only way to be sure.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

38. As an environmentalist, I must disagree with you.

Kill it with fire instead.

[Phlem]

39. saw those on a nature show about 10 years back,

you should hear what 10 them flying by sounds like, it's freaky scary. Like miniature fighter planes.



-p

[donco]

41. Updated

drones??

[Bonobo]

43. They are here in Japan.

Fortunately not very aggressive, I think.

[K.O. Stradivarius]

44. 30 hornets vs. 30,000 bees

Kind of like "300" with wings, except the Spartans win...

[Beaverhausen]

48. Holy shit!!!

[Rex]

53. Fuck the honey badger! I think we found the newest

"I don't give a fuck", badass animal!

Sorry badgerman, you would be dead from 30 of these airborne titans.

[LostOne4Ever]

49. My opinion on all hornets and wasps

[Auggie]

50. Predator wasps play a huge role in sustainable farming, particularly viticulture ...

but I think these thugs would eat the grapes as well.