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Hornet protective suits are characterized by several layers, one of which is made of foam. This prevents the hornet’s sting from penetrating through the material and entering the person’s body. But on their recent mission to Blaine, Washington state, none of the entomologists would have dared to venture into the woods in protective clothing from common wasps. There they had discovered a nest full of so-called killer hornets.
The beasts come from Asia and with a length of up to 5.5 centimeters, about five times larger than western bees. And they are deadly. With their spines up to six millimeters long, hornets can also be preyed upon by people wearing thick protective overalls.
Entomologists donned protective suits and protective masks. They seemed to be about to go on a lunar mission. Dressed as astronauts and equipped with a kind of vacuum cleaner, they killed off the giant insects. The hornets were simply sucked out of the tree and caught in boats. The researchers were able to remove about 200 of the animals from the tree in this way.
Hornet with transmitter carried to the nest.
It is unclear how hornets found in East and Southeast Asia made it to the United States. The insects are seen there over and over again. But the nest, which was the size of a basketball, is said to be the first “vespa mandarinia” nest found in the United States.
Creatures with a wingspan of almost three inches are not only dangerous to humans, they are also a feared pest that hunts bees and can therefore cause great damage to agriculture.
To find the nest, the scientists had attached tiny tracking transmitters to three captured hornets. One drove to the nest Thursday. Early on Saturday morning, researchers addressed the day. “They have,” reported the responsible authorities on Twitter. “He sucked several giant Asian hornets out of a tree hole.”
The tree must be felled to also remove the larvae and newborn hornets, and to find out if all the queens entered the containers. (kes)
