Asian Giant Hornet “Murder Hornet”?
Gigantic hornet species ( Vespa mandarinia ), up to 2 inches long and queen reaching 3-inch size, can scare anyone with its size, vast venom store and ability to sting multiple times. Mostly found in the eastern Asian countries, giving it the name of “Asian Giant Hornet”, has recently been sighted in Metro Vancouver BC and across the border in Washington State USA, creating a shiver in farmers and bee keepers. It starts breeding in April and is most active in late summer and early autumn. It viciously attacks honeybees, using its large mendable it can decapitate the honeybees and feed the thorax to its larvae. This worrisome predator has the ability to destroy whole honey bee hives. Honeybees are excellent pollinators, vital for agricultural crop production and economy. Around 90 % of crop production in North America is the result of honeybee pollinations, billion of which are provided by the honeybee keepers to farmers. Decline in number of pollinators would result in reduced cr...