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So, that nest in Washington State? Nearly 200 queens found in the next, according to the BBC, and three more found in the area around the nest.

A week or two later, and that might've been a real fustercluck.

And while the local Department of Agriculture is committed to a war on the murder hornet, they reckon there are additional nests in the area.

Time to start running, IronWarLeg...

 Dysartes wrote:
So, that nest in Washington State? Nearly 200 queens found in the next, according to the BBC, and three more found in the area around the nest.

A week or two later, and that might've been a real fustercluck.

And while the local Department of Agriculture is committed to a war on the murder hornet, they reckon there are additional nests in the area.

Time to start running, IronWarLeg...

Yeah, I saw that... Anyone know of any bulk wasp spray Black Friday deals?

Its bad enough my neighbor just found a Bald Faced hornet nest that's the size of a beach ball in her back yard, and now there is the possibility that bigger flying death machines are spreading too

I like how they levelled up to "murder hornet".
Boy am i sure there aint none here.

But what do the natives do about them?

IronWarLeg wrote:

 Dysartes wrote:
So, that nest in Washington State? Nearly 200 queens found in the next, according to the BBC, and three more found in the area around the nest.

A week or two later, and that might've been a real fustercluck.

And while the local Department of Agriculture is committed to a war on the murder hornet, they reckon there are additional nests in the area.

Time to start running, IronWarLeg...

Yeah, I saw that... Anyone know of any bulk wasp spray Black Friday deals?

Its bad enough my neighbor just found a Bald Faced hornet nest that's the size of a beach ball in her back yard, and now there is the possibility that bigger flying death machines are spreading too

Yeah, this whole thing kinda reminded me of the end of "them!", where they managed to burn the ant nest under L.A. before the queens and their consorts escaped.

But hey, let's not lose our heads over these. They're not covid virii. You can see them, you may be able to hear them coming depending on how noisy they are in flight. You can dodge them, even backhand them if you swing fast enough, crush them with a large flyswatter or a rolled up newspaper, one blast of wasp spray can drop them so you can stomp on them, etc.

Covid is far worse than these, and harder to avoid and contain.

Dunno if it was a Murder Hornet or not...but earlier this year, there was a heck of a racket coming from the rolled up blind in my front room/home office.

Figuring some wee beastie had got itself trapped, I unrolled it.....and my word whatever it was the biggest Wasp looking bugger I ever did see.

Sadly, by the time I’d armed myself with the Dyson*, it had nicked off out the window.

Given I only saw it for a few brief seconds, most of which were spent thinking “what the bloody hell is that” I can’t be sure, but I’d swear it was a good two or so inches long.

I mean, I’ve squelched Queen Wasps before, and they had nowt on this brute!

*plan was vacuum it up, then vacuum up some wasp spray. Think the execution of Flash Gordon, but done by an idiot.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Dunno if it was a Murder Hornet or not...but earlier this year, there was a heck of a racket coming from the rolled up blind in my front room/home office.

Figuring some wee beastie had got itself trapped, I unrolled it.....and my word whatever it was the biggest Wasp looking bugger I ever did see.

Sadly, by the time I’d armed myself with the Dyson*, it had nicked off out the window.

Given I only saw it for a few brief seconds, most of which were spent thinking “what the bloody hell is that” I can’t be sure, but I’d swear it was a good two or so inches long.

I mean, I’ve squelched Queen Wasps before, and they had nowt on this brute!

*plan was vacuum it up, then vacuum up some wasp spray. Think the execution of Flash Gordon, but done by an idiot.

Cicada killer, maybe?

Cicada Killers are also pretty huge and horrifying looking, but they’re actually nearly harmless to people. Rarely attack people, generally only in self defense if you grab or entangle them, and even then the female’s venom is weak, and the male doesn’t even have an actual stinger. Meanwhile they provide the invaluable service of reducing the volume of screaming trees.

 gorgon wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Dunno if it was a Murder Hornet or not...but earlier this year, there was a heck of a racket coming from the rolled up blind in my front room/home office.

Figuring some wee beastie had got itself trapped, I unrolled it.....and my word whatever it was the biggest Wasp looking bugger I ever did see.

Sadly, by the time I’d armed myself with the Dyson*, it had nicked off out the window.

Given I only saw it for a few brief seconds, most of which were spent thinking “what the bloody hell is that” I can’t be sure, but I’d swear it was a good two or so inches long.

I mean, I’ve squelched Queen Wasps before, and they had nowt on this brute!

*plan was vacuum it up, then vacuum up some wasp spray. Think the execution of Flash Gordon, but done by an idiot.

Cicada killer, maybe?

Not in the U.K. they wouldn’t be.

Again, possible false memory, but I’d swear it’s abdomen was a dark brown, like a chestnut? Definitely not a brighter colour or yellow.

Quick Google shows both the European and Asian Hornet Queen being potential, based on (again, likely flawed) recollections, mostly based on their sheer size.

 AduroT wrote:
Cicada Killers are also pretty huge and horrifying looking, but they’re actually nearly harmless to people. Rarely attack people, generally only in self defense if you grab or entangle them, and even then the female’s venom is weak, and the male doesn’t even have an actual stinger. Meanwhile they provide the invaluable service of reducing the volume of screaming trees.

Yeah, they're pussycats. Can leave little mounds in your lawn, however.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

 gorgon wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Dunno if it was a Murder Hornet or not...but earlier this year, there was a heck of a racket coming from the rolled up blind in my front room/home office.

Figuring some wee beastie had got itself trapped, I unrolled it.....and my word whatever it was the biggest Wasp looking bugger I ever did see.

Sadly, by the time I’d armed myself with the Dyson*, it had nicked off out the window.

Given I only saw it for a few brief seconds, most of which were spent thinking “what the bloody hell is that” I can’t be sure, but I’d swear it was a good two or so inches long.

I mean, I’ve squelched Queen Wasps before, and they had nowt on this brute!

*plan was vacuum it up, then vacuum up some wasp spray. Think the execution of Flash Gordon, but done by an idiot.

Cicada killer, maybe?

Not in the U.K. they wouldn’t be.

Again, possible false memory, but I’d swear it’s abdomen was a dark brown, like a chestnut? Definitely not a brighter colour or yellow.

Quick Google shows both the European and Asian Hornet Queen being potential, based on (again, likely flawed) recollections, mostly based on their sheer size.

Huge, loud and brown? Was it a "maybug" which is a type of Cockchafer, of which there are species that do appear outside of may.

 Argive wrote:
I like how they levelled up to "murder hornet".
Boy am i sure there aint none here.

But what do the natives do about them?

They eat them. Which is where most of the deaths occur apparently, while trying to harvest them. Consequently, while formidable, their reputation is magnified.

Worth noting that even allowing for people trying to harvest them, they only kill around 50 people a year, notably fewer than many animals that most people would consider largely harmless. Cows kill 3 people a year in the UK alone, with more "potentially fatal" incidents than that. A former colleague's mum got so badly mauled by cows she was put into a coma and nearly didn't make it.

TBF, as you touched on, any animal that humans regularly try to herd/harvest in massive numbers will probably have injuries associated. That extends to other humans, for that matter. Just how many people every year are injured by stampeding humans!?

Perhaps manslaughter bees are not the true threat.

 Overread wrote:

Cicada killer, maybe?

Not in the U.K. they wouldn’t be.

Again, possible false memory, but I’d swear it’s abdomen was a dark brown, like a chestnut? Definitely not a brighter colour or yellow.

Quick Google shows both the European and Asian Hornet Queen being potential, based on (again, likely flawed) recollections, mostly based on their sheer size.

My parents came across these in France near Toulouse at the end of the summer. They spotted a large barel size nest about 20 feet up a tree while on holiday. They advised the locals and they sent for the expert.

A local boy about 75 years old turned up with a ladder and metal diving suit. He put on the suit and casually climbed the ladder and sprayed the nest with liquid nitrogen.

This was then followed by the locals drinking wine and having a meal for about 2 hours.

A younger chap then turned up and used a shotgun to destroy the nest.

Apparently they deal with about 2-3 nests a day but nobody seems worried about them.

They're Asian Hornets, Vespa Velutina, not Asian Giant Hornets Vespa Mandarinia.

We have them in the UK too, albeit in smaller numbers so far. They pose a similar ecological threat but are less dangerous to people on balance. I think there's a certain acceptance on continental Europe that they've got a foothold now, but thanks to the channel UK agencies are still keeping a lid on things.

Heh heh, i can imagine this invasive species meeting some native american life forms, like the Hickus redneckus, and coming out on the losing end.

I mean, when they had that nest found the government sent in that team of experts in mighty morphin' power rangers hazmat suits to deal with it. Cost tens thousands of dollars and a vast effort to get rid of one nest.

Good ol' Bubba sees something like that and he just loads up ol' Lucile, his 12 gauge, with birdshot, puts on some thick leather clothes and his hip waders, maybe gets his buddies Zeke and Cooter to come along, goes up to it and at about 30 feet they empty their tubes into the nest. Problem solved. Total cost: About 10$ worth of shotgun shells.

Yes, some of the drones may survive, maybe weren't in the nest, but unless a fertilized queen has emerged from it before ol' Bubba and his buddies deals with it the infestation has ceased to spread from that point.

Those good ol' boys out in the rural areas, they're used to dealing with gak on their own, these things will just be another problem to solve as quickly and economically as possible. We city slickers may make fun on them, but they're tough, they rely on themselves and their friends, and they get gak done when it needs done. They may not be big on "book learnin'" but they have their own kind of simple, practical smarts.

None of which protects native honey bees and their critical role in the ecology of the area, which is the actual risk.

Equally, the majority of deaths from anything other than anaphylaxis in their native range occur precisely when people go after the nests. One assumes they're not doing that with t shirt, shorts, a pointy stick and a positive attitude.

So, assuming your point is something other than to be patronising to rural communities it's almost certainly wrong anyway.

Yeah, shotguns are not how you deal with nests.

At least not without liquid nitrogen and metal diving suits...?

I'm not trolling.

A nest can only create more nests if queens breed new queens which mature and leave. Destroy the nest, kill the queen and the surviving drones are a nuisance at worst.

A few 12 gauge rounds of birdshot thru the center of mass is quite likely going to kill the queen, the eggs and destroy the nest.

If a nest is destroyed before a new queen martures and leaves then you've reduced further spread. Reduce it enough, kill enough nests, be it with gas of birdshot, and the problem is solved.

Make sure the rural types know about these and the trouble they can cause and they'll be looking out for them, and dealing with them. Ask nice and they might even report the nests they destroy to aid in tracking. These people may have a bad image but seriously, they are a resource that can be used here. Reach out to them with respect, offer some bounties on these nests and i think they'll go a good way to stopping these. Yes, even with shotguns,because a shotgun blast to a nest is pretty likely to kill the immobile queen and hopefully her eggs too.

I'm not trolling.

I think that's worse.

 Matt Swain wrote:
I'm not trolling.

A nest can only create more nests if queens breed new queens which mature and leave. Destroy the nest, kill the queen and the surviving drones are a nuisance at worst.

A few 12 gauge rounds of birdshot thru the center of mass is quite likely going to kill the queen, the eggs and destroy the nest.

If a nest is destroyed before a new queen martures and leaves then you've reduced further spread. Reduce it enough, kill enough nests, be it with gas of birdshot, and the problem is solved.

Make sure the rural types know about these and the trouble they can cause and they'll be looking out for them, and dealing with them. Ask nice and they might even report the nests they destroy to aid in tracking. These people may have a bad image but seriously, they are a resource that can be used here. Reach out to them with respect, offer some bounties on these nests and i think they'll go a good way to stopping these. Yes, even with shotguns,because a shotgun blast to a nest is pretty likely to kill the immobile queen and hopefully her eggs too.

Most likely you will simply inconvenience the queen. The chance of hitting one specific bug in a group of them is incredibly unlikely. If she gets away all you've done is make her go find a new local.

Its far more likely you'd get them by just using regular bug spray. Guns aren't for shooting bugs, except in Australia.

I spent a few years of my childhood in a very rural town called shipman, on a farm. I have seen bored farmers take out a hornet's nest with a 12 gauge loaded with birdshot just for fun. It worked in a very loud and messy way. Sometimes they invited friends and neighbors over to put on a show. (You might be a redneck if you ever used a shotgun to get rid of a wasp nest. You might be a redneck if you ever watched someone get rid of a wasp nest with a shotgun and it was the high point of your week.)

Those nests are basically paper mache'. Birdshot goes thru them and any insect in the way. At a distance it spreads out to cover like 5' area. Any wasps or hornets in that area are likely dead. A few shots into it basically turns it into a scattered spread of paper mache' snowflakes.

If you use a shotgun to get rid of a wasp or hornet nest, make a video and post it on youtube you might be an online redneck.







Sure this isn;t the best way to deal with these, but it will happen and it will help control them. Take what you can get. I'm waiting for the first video of this being done to a murder hornet nest.

Did you miss the part where this was inside of a tree?

 AduroT wrote:
Did you miss the part where this was inside of a tree?

Wasps, bees and hornets build a variety of nests in a variety of locations, I assume murder hornets will follow suit so not all will be the same.

And again, sheesh, I never meant this to be the solution to this invasion, i do believe it can be a part of an overall solution. And yes my view is tinted by seeing this sort of thing done as a young kid in real life.

The thing is not every farmer is effective with a gun and using a shot gun at an insect nest is a very imprecise weapon. Sure you might hit the queen, but you might well not hit the queen at all.

Sure you might hit the next generation of queen eggs, or you might miss entirely.


The thing is when you are dealing with very rapid breeding, rapid distribution species that can survive in an alien environment and thrive in it you have to have methods that are near to 100% effective. You can't just hope it works, you've got to know it works. Because if one queen survives she'll move, rebuild and repopulate.

You also have to account for all the nests that won't get spotted so easily. There will be that nest that escapes the net one year and repopulates and area next year. So you've got to have really reliable methods to take out each nest that you know of so that you at least can keep on top of control if not start to diminish and wipe them out.



It's why organisations will use specific language and discourage local efforts unless they can ensure education, awareness and upkeep of standards.

Guys, it's clear he thinks he's really on to something, so

I am pretty sure that if just shooting a nest was an effective means of removal the experts who have spent decades studying insects and have infinitely more experience in the matter than us would have identified such.

Also people in rural communities are just that. They aren't some subtype of human distinct from the rest of us.

Look, there are cases where a shotgun would not be a valid choice, like inside a house, in a built up area, etc. I was talking about outdoor, rural situaions.

But whatever.....

I do wonder if insectivorous bats will eat them, i hope so.

Matt, in that second video while the nest gets absolutely obliterated, there are a whole lot of insects buzzing around afterwards (the guy in the video even says so). So probably wouldn't be my first choice for eradicating an invasive species

Of course, my first choice would be to have nothing to do with the "eradication" part personally, anyway . Who ya gonna call...

I'm sure bats would eat them, but these hornets are diurnal while most insectivorous bats are nocturnal. Not much overlap.