Swarm of giant hornets kill 38 in China

[Mr. Laz]

2 inches long, 3 inch wingspan,quarter-inch long stinger ... yikes

Killer hornets terrorize China: 28 dead, killed by giant killer hornets in China
Tina BurgessSan Diego Top News Examiner

Killer hornets terrorize China: 28 dead, killed by giant killer hornets in China
South China Morning Post

September 28, 2013
Killer hornets are terrorizing China and the death toll by the giant killer hornets in China has reached 28. Chinese officials are warning people that the killer hornets’ highly toxic sting can lead to anaphylactic shock and renal failure. “According to Ankang police, 36 people died in the city and 715 were injured by the creatures between 2002 and 2005,” reported The Guardian on Sept. 26, 2013.

The killer hornets which are terrorizing China have been a problem in the past but Chinese officials report now that this year, China’s killer hornets are more aggressive and dangerous than ever.

The South China Morning Post reported on Sept. 28, 2013, that “a spate of hornet attacks in southern Shaanxi province has resulted in 28 deaths and hundreds of injuries. … Most of those affected are in remote rural areas of the cities of Ankang, Hanzhong and Shangluo.”

Killer hornets in China are the world’s largest hornet. The Asian giant hornet, also known by the name of “yak-killer hornet” or “Vespa mandarinia” can grow to be more than 2 inches (5 centimeters) in length with a wingspan of 3 inches (about 76 mm). The killer hornets’ stinger can be a quarter-inch-long (6 millimeters) and delivers venom containing a potent neurotoxin.

Because of its toxicity, even people who are usually not allergic to the toxin can have fatal reactions to the sting of the killer hornets.

The killer hornets can be found in China, Russia, Korea, Taiwan, Indochina, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, and Japan. They are intensely predatory and aggressive. While their prey usually includes medium- to large-sized insects, such as bees, other hornet species, and mantises, their attacks on humans have been increasing during the past three months.

According to Chinese officials, part of the increased terror by the killer hornets is potentially due to a warmer climate, people entering deeper into the wooded areas that house the killer hornets, and the fact that killer hornets are sensitive to chemicals found in food and cosmetics.

“Li Jiuzhou, deputy director of the Shaanxi Bee and Wasp Industry Association, said that hundreds or even thousands of hornets could live in a single nest.”

Usually, killer hornets in China have been reported to attack humans only if disturbed. However, recent reports by villagers tell the stories of terrorizing killer hornets which pursued people over a distance of more than 650 feet (200 meters) and stinging one person more than 200 times.

Until the weather changes in November and the killer hornets in China reduce their terror activity, people are advised so seek medical attention if receiving more than 10 hornet stings. “Those with more than 30 stings need immediate emergency treatment,” said the director of Ankang Disease Control Centre.