‘Murder Hornets’ Spotted In The U.S. For The First Time
In addition to the coronavirus pandemic, Americans are now worried about the insect known as the “murder hornets.”
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The 2-inch Asian giant hornets were spotted for the first time in the U.S. in recent months, appearing in Washington state, according to the Agriculture Department. NBC News site that the insect does not generally target people or pets. However, the hornets can attack if provoked, officials say and have killed humans in extreme circumstances.
As BBC notes, back in 2013, between July and October, the insects killed a total of 41 people and injured 1,600 in Shaanxi province during a particularly bad hornet season.
Todd Murray, WSU Extension entomologist, and invasive species specialist told WSU Insider the “shockingly large hornet” is a “health hazard and a significant predator of honey bees.”
The department also said,
“Asian giant hornet attacks and destroys honeybee hives. A few hornets can destroy a hive in a matter of hours. The hornets enter a ‘slaughter phase’ where they kill bees by decapitating them. They then defend the hive as their own, taking the brood to feed their own young. They also attack other insects but are not known to destroy entire populations of those insects.”
Washington State officials are currently tracking the hornets and setting up traps to hopefully ease any possible harm, CBS News reports.
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