Japanese Giant Hornets in the U.S.?

[AverageJoe90]

This is slightly old news and from Pravda, so it may not be 100% accurate, but this has me a little concerned:

http://english.pravda.ru/science/earth/26-10-2010/115512-killer_insect-0/

Remember what happened with the pythons in Florida? I'd be real worried if this was true. There's been enough environmental disasters as is, and frankly, I think some hefty fines, and maybe even jail time, would be appropriate for any moron who would bring this dangerous insect to America.

[GliderGuider]

1. I wouldn't panic just yet.

From Wikipedia:

The Japanese giant hornet is large and fearsome, but it is not particularly aggressive unless it feels threatened. It has a venom which is injected by the 6.25 mm-long (quarter-inch) stinger and attacks the nervous system and damages tissues of its victims. Tests with mice (possibly not applicable to humans) find the venom not to be among the most lethal, having an LD50 of 4.1 mg/kg, which compares to the deadliest wasp venom (to mice) by weight of Vespa luctuosa at 1.6 mg/kg. The potency of the sting is due to the relatively large amount of venom injected. Being stung is extremely painful and requires hospital treatment. On average 40 people die every year of anaphylactic shock after having been stung, which makes the Japanese giant hornet the most lethal animal in Japan (bears kill about ten people and venomous snakes kill five to ten people each year).

[AverageJoe90]

2. Thanks, Paul. =) n/t

[Kolesar]

3. Being stung ... requires hospital treatment.

Way worse than a bald faced hornet.

[GliderGuider]

4. Any hornet whose venom has been given an LD50 is not to be messed with.

It could become the "Killer Bee" scare of the 21st century, but the biggest problem in the early days will probably be that people in North America won't recognize what stung them, and won't seek immediate treatment.

[pscot]

5. So glad

there's nothing to worry about.

[RobertEarl]

6. These buggars are in the Smokys

I see them all the time. Tho fewer this year. They will buzz you but a wave of the hand 4 or 5 times and they head off somewhere. Saw a nest one year. Up in the crotch of a tree, 8 feet from the ground. It was about 3 feet around. Wasn't there the next year. Bears? Skunks?

One year they were bombing my screen door at dusk. Good thing they don't scare me much. Like I said, they are not as numerous now as they had been. Of course, nothing wild and free is as numerous these days.