The Ten Plagues Part 2?
By: Matthew Wang
Who are they?
Amidst all of this Coronavirus quarantine, it seems like the world is coming to an end. Although the Coronavirus has been ravaging our society, it looks like we have another problem on our hands. Murder Hornets have arrived from Asia.(Why does everything bad now have to be Asian?). "Murder Hornets" are the Asian Giant Hornets which originate from Japan, These hornets are about two inches in length and have a 3 inch wingspan. These hornets have been spotted around the mountainous areas around Washington State.
What's the problem?
These Asian Giant Hornets are known for being very protective of their nests. One report of these hornets have described them as ripping off the heads of the bees. These hornets kill local bees preventing them to pollinate the local plants in turn hurting the entire ecosystem. What makes this even worse is that this species is a particularly invasive version of hornets that specifically target sugar-intensive items such as honey. That's why they target honey so much.
Can they really kill humans?
These hornets are able to kill humans. However it'll take hundreds of these hornets to successfully poison a human. Although this may be the case, a single hornet is still able to kill a single human through anaphylactic reactions. Anaphylactic reaction is where the human immune system release chemicals which will cause you to go into shock, lower blood pressure, and narrow airways. On average in Japan, there have been 30-50 deaths per year.
How do they effect the ecosystem?
These hornets are an invasive species which means that they are threat to the entire ecosystem in general. They specifically target a single species to take out which in this case in the are the bees. According to Washington(where they have been found) state officials, they have begun to take actions to prevent the Giant Asian Hornets from taking root in their ecosystem and try to return the ecosystem back to homeostasis.
Sources
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/asian-giant-hornet-washington.html?auth=link-dismiss-google1tap
https://www.ecowatch.com/what-are-asian-giant-hornets-and-are-they-really-dangerous-5-questions-answered-2645996692.html?rebelltitem=8#rebelltitem8
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/05/why-asian-giant-hornets-have-painful-stings/#close
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anaphylaxis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351468
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