Tracking the ‘Murder Hornet’

No it was a hornet. All black except for the green tint.

 

I guess I'll have to take up smoking. Will that keep the buggers away?

I was having a nice day in Georgia last week, windows were open, weather was nice. Some fat honeybee got swatted by the mirror, bounced off the door frame and unbeknownst to me landed on my seat.

Sucker got me with his "last act of defiance." And it took the LONGEST 400 yards to grind to a stop so I could jump out of the truck and scream. (Pain was tempting enough to jump out still moving. I couldn't sit I was half standing behind the wheel.)

Dobsonfly. I didn't even know they're domestic. Apparently the larva make great lures. Saw one in a box outside a warehouse, figured it came from Asia. Nope.

Usually I roll my eyes at those "as seen on TV products" but my mom bought the coolest thing. It's a tennis racquet/bug zapper-taser and it is VERY satisfying!

 

Yeah the Dobsonfly larvae is called a Hellgrammite and they are great for fishing (tho I don't use live bait). They closely resemble a nightmare in description.

 

Heyyaaa !!! Hiyaahhh !!

 

I heard that these hornets can decimate an entire european honey bee hive in under 4 hours because they have no protection against them. I wonder how africanised honey bee would react to them though, Those suckers are super aggressive.

 

I watched a Smithsonian Channel documentary on the killer hornet versus yellow jackets and honey bees. Filmed in Japan. Both bees and yellow jackets can overwhelm and kill a few hornets, but if one deposits pheromones near the hive or nest, it’s all over. Hoards of hornets will soon arrive.

Note to self: kill the scouts quickly.