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Do yellow-arses (culs-jaunes), as we call the european hornets in France, get drunk?
40k: Necrons/Imperial Guard/ Space marines
Bolt Action: Germany/ USA
Project Z.
"The Dakka Dive Bar is the only place you'll hear what's really going on in the underhive. Sure you might not find a good amasec but they grill a mean groxburger. Just watch for ratlings being thrown through windows and you'll be alright." Ciaphas Cain, probably.
My encounter was awhile ago and I can't quite remember, but knowing me I was probably trashtalking them as I shot chemical death into their home.
YOU LIKE THAT? YEAH? THAT'S CALLED CHEMICALS, BABY. WE INVENTED IT! HUMAN BEINGS! INVENTED IT! US! WE CAN WRECK THIS WHOLE PLANET, SO WHAT MAKES YOU THINK WE WON'T WRECK YOU!
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2020/06/04 18:47:33
40k: Necrons/Imperial Guard/ Space marines
Bolt Action: Germany/ USA
Project Z.
"The Dakka Dive Bar is the only place you'll hear what's really going on in the underhive. Sure you might not find a good amasec but they grill a mean groxburger. Just watch for ratlings being thrown through windows and you'll be alright." Ciaphas Cain, probably.
Shipping containers (like waste dump water from large ships) have spread a lot of bad things around the globe. The habitat of the brown recluse, for example, includes "places near a place that uses shipping containers" pretty much worldwide, but worst in the USA (since historically, we bring crap here to buy, from most other places, rather than exporting it.)
Similar are the parasites currently in the pacific salmon population, its something that got dumped out when ships from the japan area flushed their ballast water to take on new cargo without losing balance.
Sadly, its all way too late for controlling MOST of these issues -- its not like we haven't been shipping shipping stuff since about WW2, worldwide, and back. Its pretty amazing that's as bad an outcome as we got so far -- a few beetles eating all the forests of canada to death, a few pythons to fight the alligators in the 'Glade, a few africanized honeybees to fight the fire ants for territory, a few murder hornets to kill the angry african honeybees, and ... wow, ok, so its a lot of stuff, and a few fish. The coolest being the snakehead fish (in viet culture a high delicacy worth eating) in the chesapeake watershed, and the wierdest being the one that jumps out of the water straight up when startled.
Sadly, its all way too late for controlling MOST of these issues -- its not like we haven't been shipping shipping stuff since about WW2, !
You're a bit late by WW2. Whilst we have sped things up to an insane degree (at our fastest you could go round the world in 3 days and that included Concord stopping more than once I believe); which certainly helps the chances of things migrating - we've been doing it accidentally and deliberately for thousands of years.
Heck the classic English Countryside is often depicted with pheasants, chickens and rabbits and apple orchards - not a single one of which are native to the UK at all. It's believed Romans brought many of them over. Same for many crop species and other things. We've been moving stuff around for a very very long time. It's just that today we are far more aware of the potential devastation that they can cause.
At the same time, killer bees, gypsy moths and kudzu were supposed to have destroyed civilization by now if you'd listened to anything they said back in the '70s.
It's always SOMETHING. Right now in our area, it's spotted lanternfly.
Spoiler:
And it's a problem for sure. Very destructive to fruit trees and grape vines, and will attack certain maples and other varieties. Spent an afternoon over the winter scraping egg masses off my trees...had to have been at least 500-600 eggs in total.
If you don't know about spotted lanternfly, there's a chance you may soon if you're in the US. They spread very quickly because they love to hitch rides on vehicles. IIRC, they spread through the entire Korean peninsula three years after being introduced. So far the US is doing a better job, but I don't think they can truly be contained.
But you know...stink bugs were a big issue 5-10 years ago, and those populations are now much more under control.
Something can only overpopulate so much before something else finds great success in eating it--a problem that has vexed farmers since the inception of agriculture.
On a similar note, inevitable doom has loomed right around the corner for as long as we have records for. My guess is some quirk of human psychology creates that idea over and over. Sensationalization of manageable threats into all-consuming ones is hardly new and the strategy remains sorting truth from exaggeration.
NinthMusketeer wrote: Something can only overpopulate so much before something else finds great success in eating it--a problem that has vexed farmers since the inception of agriculture.
On a similar note, inevitable doom has loomed right around the corner for as long as we have records for. My guess is some quirk of human psychology creates that idea over and over. Sensationalization of manageable threats into all-consuming ones is hardly new and the strategy remains sorting truth from exaggeration.
- a lot of threats are potentially existential ones or at least incredibly significant until human ingenuity is directed at them and someone comes up with something, but there's no guarantee of that happening continuously every time a new threat emerges.
- unless you promote a threat as a certain level of serious the required resources (both fiscal and human) don't get thrown at it
Oh, that's true. The local news did a good job spreading the word that if you see a lanternfly...kill it. I wish more people would do something about egg masses on their trees, however. I cleaned mine pretty well, but I'm sure all my neighbors didn't. And while they're pretty stationary as nymphs, they hop around a lot as adults.
With stink bugs, I remember reading that mantises had learned to prey on them. Not sure how big of a dent that made -- I suspect chemical warfare was what really did the trick. But every bit that nature does helps.
NinthMusketeer wrote: Something can only overpopulate so much before something else finds great success in eating it--a problem that has vexed farmers since the inception of agriculture.
On a similar note, inevitable doom has loomed right around the corner for as long as we have records for. My guess is some quirk of human psychology creates that idea over and over. Sensationalization of manageable threats into all-consuming ones is hardly new and the strategy remains sorting truth from exaggeration.
- a lot of threats are potentially existential ones or at least incredibly significant until human ingenuity is directed at them and someone comes up with something, but there's no guarantee of that happening continuously every time a new threat emerges.
- unless you promote a threat as a certain level of serious the required resources (both fiscal and human) don't get thrown at it
Yeah, I know. But there is a whole line of discussion to be had of why a basic statement of facts can be insufficient, and I am of the opinion that sensationalizing is just placating the dragon. As for human ingenuity, there have been an untold number of would-be-apocalyptic happenings that haven't panned out and I just can't muster enough optimism to see that changing.
NinthMusketeer wrote: Something can only overpopulate so much before something else finds great success in eating it--a problem that has vexed farmers since the inception of agriculture.
On a similar note, inevitable doom has loomed right around the corner for as long as we have records for. My guess is some quirk of human psychology creates that idea over and over. Sensationalization of manageable threats into all-consuming ones is hardly new and the strategy remains sorting truth from exaggeration.
- a lot of threats are potentially existential ones or at least incredibly significant until human ingenuity is directed at them and someone comes up with something, but there's no guarantee of that happening continuously every time a new threat emerges.
- unless you promote a threat as a certain level of serious the required resources (both fiscal and human) don't get thrown at it
Yeah, I know. But there is a whole line of discussion to be had of why a basic statement of facts can be insufficient, and I am of the opinion that sensationalizing is just placating the dragon. As for human ingenuity, there have been an untold number of would-be-apocalyptic happenings that haven't panned out and I just can't muster enough optimism to see that changing.
Well, in the particular instances of the giant hornets, I'd say it's only potentially an apocaliptically sized thorn in the side for beekeepers who will have to watch over their bees a lot. Others might be distrubed by them, but they won't potentially utterly ruin the job you do for a living.
40k: Necrons/Imperial Guard/ Space marines
Bolt Action: Germany/ USA
Project Z.
"The Dakka Dive Bar is the only place you'll hear what's really going on in the underhive. Sure you might not find a good amasec but they grill a mean groxburger. Just watch for ratlings being thrown through windows and you'll be alright." Ciaphas Cain, probably.
Why did they send the Tellytubbies after the hornets?
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark
The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox
Apparently all 85 hornets survived being vacuumed out of the nest, and now that they were able to cut the tree apart they captured two live queens, too. Videos are on the Washington State Department of Agriculture facebook page:
AngryAngel80 wrote: I don't know, when I see awesome rules, I'm like " Baby, your rules looking so fine. Maybe I gotta add you to my first strike battalion eh ? "
What are they planning to do with the live hornets?
Most likely terminate them and then study them to see if there has been any hybridisation going on. They might also use them for chemical tests to see if they can devise a quick and easy chemical means to destroy a nest; perhaps without harming other local flora and fauna.
If you listen really close to the videos you can hear me screaming from about 30 miles away. A few memorable quotes: "NOPE! FETH THAT AND FETH THEM!" and "WHY THE HELL ARENT YOU BURNING THEM! BURN THEM ALL ALIVE!"
I used to joke that if those things ever show up here I was moving. Here they are. I am going to raise the bar a bit, though, and say that Ill give it until I see one in person. Feth wasps. Feth hornets. They can all be cleansed with the holy fire.
2020/11/01 17:00:00
Subject: Asian Giant Hornets - First invasive nest in US found and eradicated, pg4
That said, looks like they're doing an extremely good job trying to contain this. Hopefully they can keep it up! The threat to most of the country seems very low due to climate differences, but it would be so much better if they could keep this invasive species from getting a foothold at all.
2020/11/01 17:34:16
Subject: Re:Asian Giant Hornets - First invasive nest in US found and eradicated, pg4
RiTides wrote: Are you really only 30 miles away!? Holy cow
That said, looks like they're doing an extremely good job trying to contain this. Hopefully they can keep it up! The threat to most of the country seems very low due to climate differences, but it would be so much better if they could keep this invasive species from getting a foothold at all.
Somewhere in that neck of the woods. I live across the sound in Kitsap County. I have a cold hatred for wasps. If you are ever in Washington State and see a 6'4" 300 lb bearded dude running and screaming like he's being chased by the T-Rex in Jurassic Park, its probably me, running from a wasp.
Eldar- 4436 pts
