Sightings of the Asian giant hornet have prompted fears that the vicious insect could establish itself in the United States and devastate bee populations.  A Washington Invasive Species Council image.

– News covered by Quincy Quarry News with commentary added.

Death defying bug buster
A Ruth Fremson/The New York Times image

“Murder Hornets” invade the United States: the rush to stop the Asian Giant Hornet.

First the State of Washington State was among the earliest states in the United States to be hit by the Chinese COVID-19 virus and now it facing the scourge of the Asian Giant Hornet. 

While not locusts, close enough. 

Further disconcerting is how the so-called Murder Hornet resembles one of the cheesy special effects opponent monsters in an early Godzilla movie.

Not only does the Murder Hornet lay waste to bees by dining on them voraciously rather than feasting on their honey, this hornet’s sting kills roughly forty people a year in Japan.. 

Sizing up another victim?
A Ruth Fremson/The New York Times image

For a reasonable project of potential fatalities if the Murder Hornet takes hold in three times more populous United States, this hornet could roughly triple the current average of 62 annual deaths domestically from bees hornets and wasps combined.

At this point, experts in the state of Washington believe the infestation of Murder Hornets is still modest and thus open to eradication by already ongoing efforts. 

If, however, their efforts are not successful, not only are people at risk, all manner of farm crops will be impacted given the Murder Hornet’s penchant for dining on bees as bees play a crucial role in pollination.

Source: ‘Murder Hornets’ in the U.S.: The Rush to Stop the Asian Giant Hornet

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