Like we don’t have enough to worry about right now and along comes Murder Hornets? Don’t fret. It will all be ok. You just need to know the real story. Here are three facts you can count on:
They aren‘t actually called murder hornets.
Its real name is the Asian Giant Hornet, or Vespa mandarinia if you’re interested. Just like most stinging pests, they only sting you if you corner them, try to catch them, or agitate the nest. Right now, it’s a good bet there’s no nest in the United States. Only a few specimens were found in Washington state – nowhere near enough for a nest. And the tri-state area isn’t anywhere near Washington. They got the name because they will murder honeybees. They actually rip off their heads – including the queen’s – and they feast on the honey and larvae. Japanese Honey Bees have a nice little defense against them, but the European Honey Bees need to get with the program because they do not.
Don‘t worry about them murdering you.
These pests are almost the size of a sparrow – about 2 inches long with a 3-inch wingspan. They ARE called Asian Giant Hornets. Stands to reason the larger the insect, the stronger the venom. So, if you get stung it will hurt and it will hurt a lot. The area will swell up and it will most likely hurt for about 36 hours. Not exactly murder. You would have to get stung by dozens of them and already be allergic for it to take your life. So, carry your epi-pen and stay safe from bee stings because there are a ton more of those here than the Asian Giant Hornet.
We aren‘t going to be overrun by them.
There were only two found in the Pacific Northwest and only one of those were alive. They probably came over by mistake on a ship coming into the port from Asia. Those ships have been coming to those ports for quite a while and this is the first time we’re seeing the hornets here. If they could get here they would have already been here. And they can’t fly over the ocean. They would get tired and die before getting very far. So, no threat of a takeover.
Are they gross if hornets aren’t your cup of tea? Yes. Should you get yourself into a tizzy and believe all the hype? No. If you find a wasp nest or hornet nest around, just call Western Pest Services and leave it to the pros.