[ad_1]
The Asian giant wasp (Vespa mandarinia) nest was first discovered in the United States: the nest that was hiding nearly 200 queens was removed and the researchers destroyed the insects, but they believe there may be additional nests in the area.
The Asian giant wasp is an invasive species from the west coast of North America. Large insects native to Japan and South Korea pose a serious threat to bees:
they can euthanize entire colonies in just a few hours.
They can be dangerous to humans due to their strong sting and venom, writes the BBC news portal.
We think there are additional nests. We can never be sure we have found it all. “ Sven-Erik Spichiger, a researcher with the Washington State Department of Agriculture, said at a news conference Tuesday.
The nest was pulled out of a tree in Blaine on October 24, near the Canadian border. The specialists first quarantined the 22-centimeter-diameter nest and opened it only after 24 hours.
Inside, there were about 500 insects in various stages of development, including 112 workers and almost 200 queens.
The insects were destroyed.
According to Spichiger, it is possible that some queens flew before the nest was removed, as three specimens were found in the area after the nest was removed. However, the researcher emphasized that they had arrived “just in time” to prevent most of the queens from being washed away and to create new colonies over time after successful mating.
According to Spichiger, the insects may have entered the area through international trade. “We will never know how they got here, perhaps hidden in a vehicle, wood chips or bales of straw,” noted the researcher. A nest was discovered and destroyed on the Canadian island of Vancouver last December.
According to Spichiger, the Asian giant wasps “will not hunt or kill man”, but if someone stumbles on a nest, their life will be “probably in danger.” According to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, approximately 40 people die each year in giant horse wasps in Asia.
[ad_2]
