Damn Nature, You Scary: Asian Giant Hornet edition

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**Ouze**

Killer hornets sting at least 19 people to death in China, nearly 600 stung
By Ramy Inocencio and Ke Feng

Hong Kong (CNN) -- At least 19 people have been stung to death by hornets -- which may include the world's largest hornet species Vespa mandarinia -- in China's central Shaanxi province in the last three months, according to the city government of Ankang, the apparent epicenter of a recent spate of fatalities and injuries.

A total of 583 people in the area have been stung by hornets since July 1, say city officials. Seventy victims are still recovering in hospitals.

Chen Changlin was hospitalized after being attacked by hornets, while harvesting rice last week.

"I ran and shouted for help, but the hornets chased me about 200 meters, and stung me for more than 3 minutes," he recounted to the state-run China Youth Daily.

Chen said hornets had first swarmed a woman and child working nearby, who then ran towards him. Both later died from the hornets' toxins. "The more you run, the more they want to chase you," said another victim, whose kidneys were ravaged by the venom. When he was admitted to the hospital, his urine was the color of soy sauce, according to local reports.

Earlier this month, 30 people -- including 23 primary school children aged between six and eight years -- were injured in a hornet attack in Guangxi province, south of Shaanxi. Their teacher, Li Zhiqiang, told his students to hide under tables as he tried to drive away the insects before he lost consciousness. The school's headmaster told local media that most of the injured suffered stings to their heads, necks, hands and feet.

Nearly 60 students and teachers were injured in a separate incident in the province at the start of the month, according to state media.

Experts say a number of reasons may have contributed to the apparent increase in hornet activity, including the region's recent hot, dry weather, land development and hornet sensitivity to the smell of people.

The Asian killer hornet, which is suspected in these incidents, are formidable, carnivorous killers, according to the non-profit Honeybee Conservancy. The species feed their young with the larvae of other insects and use their talons and mandibles to sever the limbs and heads of their prey. The hornet's venom sting is a neurotoxin so powerful that it dissolves human tissue, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

This week's latest incidents spurred the Ankang city government to hold an emergency video call addressing local concerns. Vice Mayor Lu Qi said he would increase investment in regional hornet control. Mayor Xu Qifang added the city would establish a 24-hour emergency hornet response team.

source

**motyak**

The Asian killer hornet, which is suspected in these incidents, are formidable, carnivorous killers, according to the non-profit Honeybee Conservancy.

Ha I love this sentence. The combination of the terrifying description and 'honeybee conservancy' is what does it.

**VermGho5t**

So I was intrigued if they were actually giant and looked at the Wiki for them. I found this awesome thing.

Beekeepers in Japan attempted to introduce European honey bees (Apis mellifera) for the sake of their high productivity. European honeybees, however, have no innate defense against the hornets, which can rapidly destroy their colonies.[14]
Although a handful of Asian giant hornets can easily defeat the uncoordinated defenses of a honey bee colony, the Japanese honey bee (Apis cerana japonica) has evolved an effective strategy. When a hornet scout locates and approaches a Japanese honey bee hive she emits specific pheromonal hunting signals. When the Japanese honey bees detect these pheromones, a hundred or so gather near the entrance of the nest and set up a trap, keeping the entrance open. This permits the hornet to enter the hive. As the hornet enters, a mob of hundreds of honey bees surrounds it in a ball, completely covering it and preventing it from reacting effectively. The bees violently vibrate their flight muscles in much the same way as they do to heat the hive in cold conditions. This raises the temperature in the ball to the critical temperature of 46 °C (115 °F). In addition, the exertions of the honey bees raise the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the ball. At that concentration of CO2, the honey bees can tolerate up to 50 °C (122 °F), but the hornet cannot survive the combination of a temperature of 46 °C (115 °F) and high carbon dioxide level.[15][16] Some bees do die along with the intruder, much as happens when they attack other intruders with their stings, but by killing the hornet scout they prevent it from summoning reinforcements that would wipe out the entire colony.[17]"

**Medium of Death**

So apparentyl they're heading to the UK... excellent... as if our Bee population didn't have enough problems already.

Spoiler:

https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/index.cfm?pageid=208

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2411944/Asian-hornets-head-Britain-Public-warned-swarms-deliver-vicious-sting-coming-English-Channel.html

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/giant-beekilling-hornets-heading-towards-uk-8799226.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/9883587/The-most-lethal-invader-...-Asian-hornet-that-preys-on-native-bees.html

**Mr. Burning**

I bet the fethers aren't bothered by Raid either.

**LordofHats**

We had this thread like a month ago XD

**Cheesecat**

I'm afraid of yellow jacket wasps but that thing gives me nightmares.

**LordofHats**

Then it appears people need to be reminded of true terror!

Spoiler:

**Cheesecat**

That just looks more silly/weird than scary.

**Dreadclaw69**

Mr. Burning wrote:
I bet the fethers aren't bothered by Raid either.

Depends if you stick a lighter in front of the can when you spray it

**Mr. Burning**

Dreadclaw69 wrote:
Mr. Burning wrote:
I bet the fethers aren't bothered by Raid either.

Depends if you stick a lighter in front of the can when you spray it

Holy gak man! you seriously want lunatic flying and BURNING Hornets attacking you????

But seriously, if these beasties got a toe hold in the UK i would Ignore common sense and burn them up!

**Grimtuff**

Bitch please! The Megalara garuda is some scary gak when it comes to Wasps.

Only discovered 2 years ago in Indonesia.

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

**Grey Templar**

Cheesecat wrote:
That just looks more silly/weird than scary.

It can break normal aquarium glass, which is NOT weak material. They have to make special tanks for these suckers.

They could break your bones if you weren't careful.

**Fafnir**

Grimtuff wrote:
Bitch please! The Megalara garuda is some scary gak when it comes to Wasps. Only discovered 2 years ago in Indonesia.

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

I think the reason that thing was only discovered two years ago was because they killed the gak out of everyone else who saw them. Holy crap.

**Ouze**

Fafnir wrote:
Grimtuff wrote:
Bitch please! The Megalara garuda is some scary gak when it comes to Wasps. Only discovered 2 years ago in Indonesia.

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

I think the reason that thing was only discovered two years ago was because they killed the gak out of everyone else who saw them. Holy crap.

Totally not true - they always leave one person alive, to tell the tale.

**Frazzled**

motyak wrote:

The Asian killer hornet, which is suspected in these incidents, are formidable, carnivorous killers, according to the non-profit Honeybee Conservancy.

Ha I love this sentence. The combination of the terrifying description and 'honeybee conservancy' is what does it.

Shh you. I for one welcome our new Hornet Overlords!

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Mr. Burning wrote:
Dreadclaw69 wrote:
Mr. Burning wrote:
I bet the fethers aren't bothered by Raid either.

Depends if you stick a lighter in front of the can when you spray it

Holy gak man! you seriously want lunatic flying and BURNING Hornets attacking you????

But seriously, if these beasties got a toe hold in the UK i would Ignore common sense and burn them up!

Dad once scorched up the side of the house trying to set ant piles on fire. I think Mom actually socked him right in the kisser for that stunt.

**hotsauceman1**

For some reason I have a fantasy of riding a giant bee into battle

**Relapse**

Frazzled wrote:
motyak wrote:

The Asian killer hornet, which is suspected in these incidents, are formidable, carnivorous killers, according to the non-profit Honeybee Conservancy.

Ha I love this sentence. The combination of the terrifying description and 'honeybee conservancy' is what does it.

Shh you. I for one welcome our new Hornet Overlords!

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Mr. Burning wrote:
Dreadclaw69 wrote:
Mr. Burning wrote:
I bet the fethers aren't bothered by Raid either.

Depends if you stick a lighter in front of the can when you spray it

Holy gak man! you seriously want lunatic flying and BURNING Hornets attacking you????

But seriously, if these beasties got a toe hold in the UK i would Ignore common sense and burn them up!

Dad once scorched up the side of the house trying to set ant piles on fire. I think Mom actually socked him right in the kisser for that stunt.

Fire ants are a problem in Texas, alright.

**Ouze**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
For some reason I have a fantasy of riding a giant bee into battle

**Steve steveson**

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, in addition to its own intrinsic phospholipase. Masato Ono, an entomologist at Tamagawa University near Tokyo, described the sensation as feeling "like a hot nail being driven into my leg".

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, 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.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.

**TheDraconicLord**

Now I understand why I once saw a chinese soldier on the news using A FLAMETHROWER to destroy wasp nests. I'm thinking that's not nearly enough, those poor bastards need to start using Napalm

**PredaKhaine**

I've always hated wasps - especially those evil little fethers that sting things, paralyse them and lay eggs on them.
Just so the eggs have something to eat when they hatch.
I've known people argue against the existence of god because how could he let these little fethers evolve?

Then I saw....proof of the existence of God -hopefully, the links work...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_spider
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4odlo0Afjs

"Hello little spider" said the wasp. "Would you like to come for tea with my kids?"
The spider wasn't sure and said "Screw you!, transform and roll out!" and promptly rolled off down the hill, humming the transformers theme...

**Frazzled**

In the great battle between spiders and wasps, no matter who loses, we win!

I finally saw what happens when a fire ant (aka pissant) wanders in among a herd of crazy ants.

The crazy ants scatter like Yankees from a bull. A crazy ants run like tiny hot rods, the whole area seemed to clear out in a half a second. I'm sure the fire ant was thinking "what the hell just happened?"

**Ma55ter_fett**

I have no problem with wasps. I think they look kind of beautiful in their own way.

As for spiders there is no doubt in my mind, spiders are wicked cool and badass.

**Alfndrate**

Botflies... dem some scary mofos

**Ma55ter_fett**

Alfndrate wrote:
Botflies... dem some scary mofos

Actually kinda tame in my opinion.

What about Cochliomyia (screw worm)?

WARNING DO NOT GOOGLE COCHLIOMYIA IF YOU ARE FAINT OF HEART!!!!

But if you do scroll down to the picture of them in someone's mouth.

Its brutal.

**Overread**

Hornets!!!

They might buzz like crazy but they are darn pretty bugs; plus like lots of big bugs they get really lethargic in early in the morning; they can't do anything, which is good because you can get really really close

(ps that isn't a crop).

**Dark Apostle 666**

That Cochliomya thing is really... REALLY... nasty, I'd rather take on a hornet swarm than that...

**MrMoustaffa**

Grimtuff wrote:
Bitch please! The Megalara garuda is some scary gak when it comes to Wasps. Only discovered 2 years ago in Indonesia.

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

NOPE

NO THANK YOU

NOT INTERESTED

NUKE IT FROM ORBIT AND GTFO

**mega_bassist**

Ma55ter_fett wrote:
Alfndrate wrote:
Botflies... dem some scary mofos

Actually kinda tame in my opinion.

What about Cochliomyia (screw worm)?

WARNING DO NOT GOOGLE COCHLIOMYIA IF YOU ARE FAINT OF HEART!!!!

But if you do scroll down to the picture of them in someone's mouth.

Its brutal.

WHY DID I GOOGLE THIS?