Anyone who is even slightly like me will probably be wary of anything that flies, makes a lot of noise, or could sting.
Don’t get me wrong—I know how important animals like bees and wasps are to our environment. But that doesn’t mean I like having them buzz around my picnic blanket while I’m trying to enjoy a relaxing lunch in the sun.
And I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. That’s why the scary news about the rise in a dangerous bug species makes me feel, well, scared. In case you want to know more, keep reading!
Recently, there have been a lot more rumors that the Asian giant hornet, also known as the infamous “murder hornet,” is planning to invade the United States, or maybe they are already doing so.
This scary flying bug was first seen in the United States in 2019. Since then, more sightings have happened, scaring people who normally get scared at the sight of a common yellow jacket.
The most latest confirmed sighting was in August 2021 in Washington, according to reports. With a sting as strong as three to ten yellow jackets working together, the murder hornet is not something to be taken lightly.
As its name suggests, the Asian giant hornet is very good at destroying beehives, killing thousands of bees at once. It is a major threat to bee populations.
Murder hornets also have a very strong sting that can hurt people, as we already said. Even though it doesn’t happen often, the sting of a murder hornet has killed people before.
Because of what happened in Washington in 2019, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has taken steps to prepare for the new danger that this new menace poses.
After what happened, entomologists came up with a plan to collar and tag wasps so that they could be tracked back to their homes and destroyed to stop the species from spreading further.
For more information about murder hornets, watch the movie below: