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Murder Hornets Invade North America, Europe (Updated)

The "murder hornet" is the Asian giant hornet
Photo Credit: Unknown
The Asian giant hornets (AGH) are only now beginning their foray into North America.

UPDATE: Texas governor requests formation of a task force to prepare for AGH invasion.

They've already established a beachhead in Europe. "Murder hornets" have been in Britain since 2016. Before Britain, the murder hornets also invaded Spain (2010), Portugal and Belgium (2011), Italy (2012), and Germany (2014).

 Twitter was freaked out by screaming click-bait tweets about "Murder Hornets," winged stinging devils from Hell itself, reeking of sulfur. But seriously, these little monsters are actually no laughing matter. They're just as scary as some people would have you think. So, just what are these so-called "Murder Hornets?"

Adult cicada killer wasp hauling its cicada prey.
Photo by Steven Kritchen, Bugguide.net
A brief note about those huge wasps we see in Texas: They are NOT "murder hornets." They're the "cicada killer wasp" (Sphecius speciosus). Texas A&M says that "Although female cicada killers can sting, they usually ignore people and are rarely aggressive. On the other hand, males are often territorial and may act aggressively. Here’s the deal though. Males don’t possess stingers and are completely harmless." I see them in Houston. They're impressive but not threatening.

"Murder hornets" are better known as "Asian giant hornets." Their venomous sting can kill humans. It is Vespa mandarinia, the world's largest hornet species. They are native to Southeast Asia and they prey on other critters. Their favorite prey is bees. One sting is enough to a human allergic to their venom, but several stings can kill a non-allergic person. Imagine tiny striped rattlesnakes with wings and a penchant for mayhem. That's what "murder hornets" are like.

According to the New York Times, it's also "known as the yak-killer hornet, the commander wasp in Korea and the tiger head bee in Taiwan, according to experts." The NYT quoted May Berenbaum, the head of the entomology department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: "You want to talk about beepocalypse...They are sworn enemies of honey bees. I would say a bee’s worst nightmare. Probably the worst nightmare of a lot of people, too."

For the moment, the state of Washington is the only part of the U.S. that Asian giant hornets are know to have established themselves. Take no comfort in that, however.  It’s just a matter of time before the “murder hornet’’ gets to the East Coast, experts warned The Post on Sunday.

AgWeb reported that this hornet is particularly deadly:
A single hornet can sting multiple times, and cause anaphylactic shock, tissue necrosis, extreme pain, respiratory issues, liver damage and blood clots—features commonly associated with snake venom.
But let's slow down and take a collective deep breath. The panic, yes panic, over the "murder hornets" is probably overblown. The Post-Crescent reports that the Asian giant hornet is not as deadly to humans as we've been lead to believe:
The nickname "murder hornet" makes the insect sound much deadlier than it actually is. The Asian giant hornet does not usually attack people or pets, unless it feels threatened, according to the Washington Department of Agriculture. In Japan, 50 people a year are killed by the hornets and those who have been strung liken the feeling to hot metal piercing their skin, according to The New York Times.  
Michael Draney, an entomology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, says that although the hornets are venomous and can sting repeatedly, they're not as deadly than a honeybee. Honeybees are the deadliest venomous animal in the United States, in terms of the number of people they kill every year, he said. More people in Asia are killed every year from honeybee stings than the "murder hornets," he said.

But the biggest threat they pose, actually, is to agriculture. That's because the Asian giant hornet hates honeybees, and they'll wipe out entire colonies in minutes. The bees don't stand a chance.

More from AgWeb:
The largest hornet on the planet, reaching just over 2” long and packing a painful, tissue-destroying sting capable of sending allergic victims to the hospital or morgue, has gained a foothold in the United States. The Asian giant hornet, which already causes 40-50 deaths each year in Japan and decimates honeybees, was recorded four times in Washington in December 2019—the first sightings in U.S. history.
Seldom does an invasive species’ immediate debut cause instantaneous alarm, but the stakes are high: If Asian giant hornet achieves long-term, established numbers in the U.S., its presence will make a substantial impact on the economy, environment and public health. Considering the insect’s menacing position in Asia and its ability to destroy a honeybee colony in just a few hours, U.S. officials aim to eradicate queens before the Asian giant hornet reaches a population tipping point. In short, the U.S. hunt is on and intensifying for the Asian giant hornet.
As noted by AgWeb, the Asian giant hornet is only known to be in the State of Washington -- so far. The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has a web page that lets people report Asian giant hornet sightings. WSDA makes an important note: Theirs are the first sightings in the United States, but not in North America.
In December 2019, WSDA received and verified four reports of Asian giant hornet near Blaine and Bellingham. These are the first-ever sighting in the United States. Canada had also discovered Asian giant hornet in two locations in British Columbia in the fall of 2019.
Asian giant hornet attacks and destroys honeybee hives. A few hornets can destroy a hive in a matter of hours. The hornets enter a "slaughter phase" where they kill bees by decapitating them. They then defend the hive as their own, taking the brood to feed their own young. They also attack other insects but are not known to destroy entire populations of those insects. 
It's no wonder they've been dubbed "murder hornets." WSDA says, "You may not see Asian giant hornets themselves, but you may see the aftermath of an Asian giant hornet attack. These hornets will leave piles of dead bees, most of them headless, outside their beehive." WSDA posted a very informative video on YouTube in March, 2020.

Even the "murder hornet" has enemies. Like this praying mantis, for example:
The Sun (UK) has advice on how to get rid of Asian giant hornets - and how to use caution around them. "If you spot an Asian hornet, do not run as they are fast flyers and are provoked by moving targets," they say. "You must not disturb or approach giant hornets or their nest as this can be seen as a sign of provocation."
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