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Japanese honey bees have a remarkable defense strategy against these things. From the Wikipedia page for Asian giant hornet [1]: > As the hornet enters, a mob

by papeda 7y ago

Japanese honey bees have a remarkable defense strategy against these things. From the Wikipedia page for Asian giant hornet [1]: > As the hornet enters, a mob of hundreds of bees surrounds it in a ball, completely covering it and preventing it from reacting effectively. The bees violently vibrate their flight muscles in much the same way as they do to heat the hive in cold conditions. This raises the temperature in the ball to the critical temperature of 46 °C (115 °F). In addition, the exertions of the honeybees raise the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the ball. At that concentration of CO2, they can tolerate up to 50 °C (122 °F), but the hornet cannot survive the combination of high temperature and high carbon dioxide level. Some bees do die along with the intruder, much as happens when they attack other intruders with their stings, but by killing the hornet scout, they prevent it from summoning reinforcements that would wipe out the entire colony. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_giant_hornet https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_giant_hornet

throwanem 7y ago
European honey bees, such as those in the US, lack this adaptation, which is a big part of why it's important to prevent V. mandarinia colonizing the US.
- catalogia 7y ago
  I believe V. mandarinia are also significantly more dangerous to humans. Nearly as many people are killed by them in Japan every year (30-40 according to wikipedia) as are killed by hornets, wasps and bees combined in the US (62 per year on average: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6829a5.htm https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6829a5.htm) Bear in mind those figures aren't per-capita.
  - throwanem 7y ago
    Their size gives them a larger venom dose per sting, and I gather they're more inclined to sting repeatedly than other wasps. I think I remember reading their venom is actually more toxic by volume than the usual as well, but not so sure there. Either way, you're quite right. I'm pretty cavalier about risking stings for the most part, because I'm familiar enough with bees and wasps to know how to avoid making them feel threatened, and I'm not allergic in any case - and taking a calculated risk, for the chance at an excellent photo, is in my estimation worth it. Even so, I think I'd be very hesitant to approach a V. mandarinia individual unless I was very certain her nest was nowhere nearby. Maybe not even then. Calculated risk is one thing, but with these I'm not at all sure the math works out. All that aside, I'm more worried about the risk to bees than that to humans, who are only ever attacked incidentally by wasps in any case. Our primary pollinators are already under threat enough without having to face the hymenopterans' answer to a Terminator.

by papeda 7y ago

throwanem 7y ago

European honey bees, such as those in the US, lack this adaptation, which is a big part of why it's important to prevent V. mandarinia colonizing the US.

catalogia 7y ago
I believe V. mandarinia are also significantly more dangerous to humans. Nearly as many people are killed by them in Japan every year (30-40 according to wikipedia) as are killed by hornets, wasps and bees combined in the US (62 per year on average: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6829a5.htm https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6829a5.htm) Bear in mind those figures aren't per-capita.
- throwanem 7y ago
  Their size gives them a larger venom dose per sting, and I gather they're more inclined to sting repeatedly than other wasps. I think I remember reading their venom is actually more toxic by volume than the usual as well, but not so sure there. Either way, you're quite right. I'm pretty cavalier about risking stings for the most part, because I'm familiar enough with bees and wasps to know how to avoid making them feel threatened, and I'm not allergic in any case - and taking a calculated risk, for the chance at an excellent photo, is in my estimation worth it. Even so, I think I'd be very hesitant to approach a V. mandarinia individual unless I was very certain her nest was nowhere nearby. Maybe not even then. Calculated risk is one thing, but with these I'm not at all sure the math works out. All that aside, I'm more worried about the risk to bees than that to humans, who are only ever attacked incidentally by wasps in any case. Our primary pollinators are already under threat enough without having to face the hymenopterans' answer to a Terminator.