Not for 56K users.
It'll make you cry-
http://www.thatvideosite.com/view/238.html
Scary!
Thank heaven those are in the Far East and not in the US where I live. Quite terrible. Looks like native bees do have a defense against them though. This video says they are attacking European honeybees which evidently have no defense like the native ones.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_hornet
Gah! That's those awful Japanese hornets. Nasty, horrible buggers. We watched a show on them and just shuddered all the way thruough. They are absolutely huge too. They showed a type of honey bee that has learned how to fight back. When the scout checks out the hive, they jump him before he can bring back the troops. They actually fry him with their body heat. Excellent.
I saw this a few days ago on youtube.com. The same day a bald-faced hornet attacked a bee at my hive. A couple of days later I saw another bald-faced hornet, dead, being carried out by two bees. Then the next day I saw a bald-faced hornet carrying off a dead body that one of the mortician bees had dropped about four feet from the hive.
The most recent bald-faced hornet venture was yesterday when the hornet landed on the side of the hive and began eating a bee body that had gotten smashed when I opened the hives the day before. Two bees attacked the hornet and it left.
After watching that horrible 30 hornets v. 30,000 bee video, I am worrying that a whole slew of bald-faced hornets will attack my girls. I've looked in the nearby trees and can't see their nest.....
But that video is enough to put fear into the heart of a beekeeper!
Linda T in Atlanta
RAAARRRR!!!! COMIN' TO GET YOU!!!!!!
(http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/4061/baldfacehornet2gx6.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Not really. I was just joshing you.
They are SO scary looking. Great picture. I saw another one buzzing around my hives today. The girls appear to have them rather intimidated or at least cautious. I do know they are using my girls' water source. Still can't see the paper nest anywhere.
Linda T in Atlanta home of the bald-faced hornet
That was agonizing. I love my bees. I've got this deep, protective bond with them. (OK that sounded ridiculous, sorry. ) But I can't help but be defensive whenever I see something messing with honeybees. Now I'm going to be paranoid about hornets around the house. "Aiiee; there it is, the invasive hornet; grab the Raid, the sugar water trap, the butterfly net! Don't let it get away!!!" Thanks a lot Brian Sisson. :!: :)
Now, those Japanese Giant Hornets attacking a European colony may be described as a masacre...but, I wonder who'd win if the hornets were attacking an African/Africanized hive?
The hornets will win if they attach an AHB hive. The Japanesse honeybees have developed the only effective defense against them and that is to lure the scout into the hive and surround him in a ball and vibrate until the heat gets so high that they cook him.
AHBs do not have that defense technology.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
I was trying to say that in a joking fasion.
It's not only scary what they can do to a hive but what they can do to humans as well. Anything with a venom that'll liquify flesh is just plain scary. A 1/4 inch stinger? OW :shock: WW! You run out to try to protect your hive and your liable to be part of the carnage lying there on the ground. Estimate forty deaths a year from these things and that just in Japan. Would hate to see those things over here - it's only a matter of time though. :(
40 DEATHS?! Have you seen the statistics for how many people "yellow jackets" kill each year? I've heard estimations as high as 200 with none going below 120.
It's the liquifing flesh that really gives me the willies. :(
Also look at the population ratio of Japanese Hornets to to our common yellow jackets. If you were to equal them out the mortality rate would be considerable. This is one bug that needs to stay in Japan. It only takes one queen and we'll have a major problem. They appear to be cold hardy as well.
I wonder, considering they're five times the size of our honey bee if wire mesh would protect the hive. What do the Japanese beekeepers do?
From what I understand all poisons from critters have some flesh decaying propery--even the poison from our honey bees, which is why the area swells and itches.
It swells and itches because of the histemine in the venom.
His to Mine, what's that got to do with it? LOL :)
here in the uk i have a nest of hornets take over an empty nuc box on top of a hive (sorry had) i just went there took the roof off put half gallon of petrol in closed roof watched hornets return then chucked a match in woosh no more hornets mind you even though they were on top of a hive all bees seemed to be ok . regard s simon