Tracking the Asian Giant 'Murder' Hornet: A Deadly Pest Has Reached North America

kenmbz · May 4, 2020

That's a biggun!
We have the Japanese beetles, stink bugs (at least 2 kinds) and who knows what else has showed up in the last few years.
I am amazed how much our landscape has changed in 3 years due to invasive species. I remember as a kid watching the white birches disappear from our hillside in MA. So nothing new, but now the Ash trees are all going to be gone in PA. Sad.

Hay Dude · May 4, 2020

TnAndy said:
Wife went out on the deck a few minutes ago and knocked one of what we call "Japanese Hornets" down and so here is a photo of what they look like

Not the same coloring or size as the 'murder hornet', but not something I want to run into a LOT. Never seen any sign of them around my bee hives, so I guess they are not a threat to them ? (fingers crossed)

That aint no Murder Hornet.....

Thats my mother in law :laughing:

DarkBlack · May 4, 2020

TnAndy said:
Wife went out on the deck a few minutes ago and knocked one of what we call "Japanese Hornets" down and so here is a photo of what they look like:

Kinda dragonfly like wings:

Face that would stop a clock, huge mandibles !

Not the same coloring or size as the 'murder hornet', but not something I want to run into a LOT. Never seen any sign of them around my bee hives, so I guess they are not a threat to them ? (fingers crossed)

Looks like whats called a European hornet, to me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_hornet

TnAndy · May 4, 2020

DarkBlack said:
Looks like whats called a European hornet, to me.

European hornet - Wikipedia

I believe you are right. Only name I'd heard for it was Japanese hornet, but the wiki info corrects that. Thanks !

edgarrian · May 4, 2020

I watched a documentary about these hornets a long time ago. It was interesting. If i remember correctly their own hive has two soldiers that are constantly flying very near the nest. And anyone or anything coming close these things also have a venom they can shoot at the intruder. I don't remember what it did. I believe it burned the eyes. Then the documentary showed how they would intrude a honey bee hive and basically chop all their heads off. It was amazing to watch. These things are ruthless and are more than likely going to be a problem here. No way to stop them.

dragoneggs · May 4, 2020

Hay Dude said:
That aint no Murder Hornet.....

Thats my mother in law :laughing:

Good one! :laughing:

Hay Dude · May 4, 2020

dragoneggs said:
Good one! :laughing:

Bahahahaha :laughing:

Jstpssng · May 4, 2020

The Ash borer is just starting to work it's way into the state, coming south from Canada and north from New Hampshire. They have tried releasing parasites which only are supposed to feed on the borer, it will be intersting to see how that works out. One way that the ash borer, longhorned beetle, winter moth, and a few others get here is from hitchhiking on people's firewood. They are supposed to leave it at home, but that doesn't seem to happen.

I hadn't spent a lot of time at my parent's property for a while, until the last couple of years since my father passed away. When I started walking their 30 acres I couldn't believe the multitude of invasive plants there. I started a campaign last year to eradicate the Autumn Olive; cutting and stump treating for two days, before they had a chance to spread another crop of berries. Now I need to start spraying what's in the mowed portion of the field. There also is birttersweet which almost has taken over one of the apple trees; black locust; Norway Maple in abundance; multiflora rose, and Japanese Barberry. 3 of the five species came from somebody else's property... birds love the berries and drop the seeds everywhere.

Hay Dude · May 4, 2020

TnAndy said:
We're still thanking Asia for the blight that killed off our chestnut trees in the last century, and for the Asian beetle (often mistaken for the Lady Bug, which it is NOT) that invades our windows every fall/winter.

Side note: We have a hornet here call the "Japanese Hornet".....about twice the size of the baldface black/white normal hornets. Looks like a yellow jacket on steroids. Turn an outside light on at night, and they are very attracted to it, making them easy targets for a fly swatter. Don't see many of them, never seen a nest, so can't say where they build (ground/limbs), but they are pretty aggressive.

When I was a kid, we had one of the last chestnut trees in our county. When we realized it was a chestnut, it was about 20' tall, maybe 5" caliper. We cleared other trees from around it to promote its further growth, but it died in about 10 years. Got to be about 40 feet tall before it died.