The Giant AsIan Hornet

[Tripplebeards]

I am so lucky to be non allergic to insect venom because I get stung many times a year by wasps, bees, fire ants and bark scorpions. A full grown scorpion lights me up like 120 volts

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I can still remember predator calling in a wash when I was out in AZ years ago. I never saw what stung my hands through my thin gloves But it felt like little bee stings. I pushed my knuckles down into the sand to stabilize myself when I stood up and got stung. Later that day both hands swelled up like red pumpkins! They ached from the swelling and skin stretching and also itched at the same time. The swelling made them ache. Moving my fingers I could feel some resistance from my swollen skin. Other than the swelling I felt fine. I probably should have took some Benadryl. I was helping my buddy do some construction the next day and a nail poked one of my hands where it was swelled. It looked like a horror movie! Blood shooting out of my hand in a stream. I can tell you it felt soooo good when it happened as it relieved the pressure. I actually let the blood cone out for a while till I could move my fingers freely again. It took a few days for the swelling to go away on the other hand. I’m guessing maybe ants did this? Maybe it was a bee, wasp, or scorpion under the sand? I have no clue as I never saw what stung me that was buried in the sand. I even dug around in the sand after it happened and didn’t see anything in it.

Any clue what my mystery stinger was?

This is what my hand looked like...

https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/in...and-ant-stings


I just remembered I put some ice on them for a couple of days and then the swelling finally went down.

[Winger Ed.]

Any clue what my mystery stinger was?.

Sure sounds like a bad reaction to a classic wasp sting.
Some brands of them even make nests in the ground.
But I sure figure you'd have seen at least one get out of the dirt and try to hit ya again.

[Tripplebeards]

At the time I was thinking maybe some old scorpion tails broken off in the dirt. I almost remember more than one zap in my knuckles as well. I would have though I would have dug up at least one ant or wasp when I dug into the sand. It was very lose sand. I dug over a foot deep looking for the culprits. I probably should’ve went in and got my hands checked but at that time I was in the whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger stage. I never had any other symptoms other than swollen aching, itching hands so I wasn’t too worried at the time.

From all the reading I’m going to guess it was a wasp? Are there little black micro looking wasps out there with a little white lines in their abdomens? I swear I almost saw some of those out in that area that day. They were as tiny as a small ant if I remember. I’m wondering if that might’ve been the culprit and if they live underground?

[Gregorious]

http://www.rural-revolution.com/search/label/Hornets

Method of killing them/

[Three44s]

Kill shot!

Me likes it!

Three44s

[Three44s]

Tripplebeards,

I haven’t a clue what you tangled with there except it was a miserable deal!

Three44s

[Tripplebeards]

I still think it was broken off scorpion tails. I found a few laying on the sand further down the wash that trip. I had Popeye hands for almost a week.

[Three44s]

Back in the news!

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/u...ashington.html

The race is on to exterminate this dangerous invading pest before it can become established. At least they can geo track it (it is large enough to carry a miniature tracker).

Three44s

[quilbilly]

Apparently you don't have to be allergic for them to kill you. The venom they inject attacks red blood cells which leads to the kidney and liver problems. It read like rattlesnake venom on steroids. The reports I have read said that it only takes about five of them to sting you to kill you if you don't get the anti-venom quick. Now I really have a good excuse to keep my 45/410 barrel on my Contender and look around for shells with #9 shot. I haven't yet read how/where they nest. Hopefully they don't go after my beloved mason bees.
There is only 15 miles of water between me and them so far.

[shooterg]

Japanese beetles, kudzu, killer hornets, Asian flu, Wuhan flu . There's a theme in there somewhere..

[brassrat]

[Three44s]

Apparently you don't have to be allergic for them to kill you. The venom they inject attacks red blood cells which leads to the kidney and liver problems. It read like rattlesnake venom on steroids. The reports I have read said that it only takes about five of them to sting you to kill you if you don't get the anti-venom quick. Now I really have a good excuse to keep my 45/410 barrel on my Contender and look around for shells with #9 shot. I haven't yet read how/where they nest. Hopefully they don't go after my beloved mason bees.
There is only 15 miles of water between me and them so far.

They nest in the ground and have been known to have colonies estimated as large as 500+.

Even if WSDA and USDA can wipe them out, which I doubt .... What is the Canadian Gov doing about it?

I don’t think a GE Mini Gun with bird shot can cover a 360 degree approach. They are not “B17’s”, at 20-25 MPH I would compare them F22s. Also they are not a one trick pony like a honey bee. They sting multiple times and also attack from their ground nest at night.

I am in Central WA, about “three tanks of gas” away.

Three44s

[Three44s]

More:

https://a-z-animals.com/animals/asian-giant-hornet/

The article is a ways down from “beautiful face” shot ....

Three44s

[snowwolfe]

European hornets love light. During the summer they dive bomb outside light fixtures till they kill themselves. We always find a dozen or so dead in the AM on the front porch or driveway. They will also fly into a campfire.

For you that are positive you are seeing Asian hornets. You would be doing the world a favor and catch some alive or dead and turn them over to your state for positive ID.

[Three44s]

That is what the folks that are seeing them are doing, turning them over. But the search is greater than that. The Federal and State Departments of AG are enlisting first bee keepers and second, interested citizens to trap for the invasive hornet.

I pray they are 100% successful but know that it is virtually an impossible task given the terrain and sheer area involved given this is NW Washington State and SW British Columbia and Vancouver Island.

Three44s

[Mr_Sheesh]

Just take off and nuke the site from orbit

[Three44s]

Napalm!

Three44s

[quilbilly]

It reads like even our local black bears will have a problem with them.

[Three44s]

It reads like even our local black bears will have a problem with them.

I had not thought about that!

They say the invading hornet will likely take out our native predator hornets, yellow jackets and wasps and the bears and raccoons feed on them so when they try to crack open the Giant Asian Hornet nests that 1/4” professional grade dinger of theirs loaded with poisonous snake grade venom will pose a real hazzard to those unsuspecting critters.

Three44s

[snowwolfe]

Ironic how much of a disaster they are supposed to be to the USA. But haven't they been living in Japan for centuries?