Invasive giant hornets have been spotted in the US for the first time

Murder hornets
Murder hornets

It seems like 2020 is going to turn even worse now. For the first time, the USA might be getting an influx of invasive giant hornets. Asian giant hornets are being spotted in the USA especially in the Washington D.C. area. Many beekeepers are anxious about the situation after finding the dead bodies of many bees with their heads decapitated.

A bee breeder, Susan Cobey, has said: “They’re like something out of a monster cartoon with this huge yellow-orange face.”

These hornets are the largest hornets in the world and their sting has the power to kill human beings too if the victim is stung a number of times. Many scientists call them Murder hornets.

Scientists are not sure how these murder hornets ended up in the USA. It is possible that they might have been transported via international cargo. The giant hornet was first spotted back in December and many researchers believe that during that time, they were building up the hives for the queen to come in. And now, they are becoming active.

“Hornets are most destructive in the late summer and early fall, when they are on the hunt for sources of protein to raise next year’s queens,” as per Truscott, who is associated with WSU’s college of agricultural, human and natural resource sciences.

If you spot one, you should not try to tackle these hornets. You should run away and call the specialists for this one. Also, it is important for specialists to handle these hornets and record it since it is necessary for containment and extermination.

During late summer and fall, these hornets are going to be most active. “The most likely time to catch Asian giant hornets is from July through October — when colonies are established and workers are out foraging,” as per the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

These hornets are known to destroy hives within hours.

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