Shame on the media for the “murder hornets” nickname for Asian giant hornets and the fear mongering they’re doing about them showing up in the US. How incredibly unnecessary.
Yes, they are predators of honeybees and other insects, but there are plenty of other bugs that are predators, too. It’s a natural thing. And yes, they can kill humans - so can honeybees. There are not many deaths attributed to Asian giant hornets per year where they’re native, and the deaths that do occur often happen when people are stung 10-30 times or more, or are due to allergies. They are also not particularly aggressive unless provoked. You are very unlikely to encounter them and even less likely to be stung, even if they did manage to establish themselves here.
And that is the concern! They’re an invasive species here in the US and could potentially be very destructive if they were able to establish breeding populations. But no worries - not many were spotted (2 or 4? Depending on the source, it seems) and scientists are well aware of the issue and are trying to make sure they’re controlled.
Anyway let’s chill on demonizing wasps any further. Native species are super important and deserve the same respect and positive attention bees have gotten in recent years. And no bug is evil!! Stop making them sound like malicious beasts!!
Thank you and please view a very cute Asian giant hornet:
