scouser 4 Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 Has anyone ever had the pleasure of meeting one of these dudes? http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/10/1025_021025_GiantHornets.html A small but highly efficient killing machine—a hornet two inches long and with a wingspan up to three inches—lurks in the mountains of Japan. The voracious predator has a quarter-inch stinger that pumps out a dose of venom with an enzyme so strong it can dissolve human tissue. Bees, other hornet species, and larger insects such as praying mantises are no match for the giant hornets, which often stalk their prey in relentless armies. Just one of these hornets can kill 40 European honeybees a minute; a handful of the creatures can slaughter 30,000 European honeybees within hours, leaving a trail of severed insect heads and limbs. Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 Would not like to meet one of them! Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 Yes. 2 or 3 of them spoiled our picnic at Yokogawa, Nagano one autumn. They are like flying cigars, and they're very aggressive indeed. They are especially aggressive towards people wearing dark clothes whom they take to be bears. I was wearing a black sweater and they were paying a lot of attention to me. We killed two of them with a child's shoe, but as there seemed to be an endless supply of them, we sought a safer place. Shikoku has even bigger wasps. Link to post Share on other sites
Goemon 0 Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 The video of those hornets destroying those honeybees is truly horrific. Link to post Share on other sites
veronica 2 Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 That video is amazing. Some of the shots in there. Rather violent these things, I'd rather not meet one. Link to post Share on other sites
Dims 0 Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 Now I am very sad " title="" src="graemlins/cry.gif" /> Poor little bees. Those things are vicious! Great camera work though. Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted June 16, 2004 Author Share Posted June 16, 2004 Bloody hell! Vicious gits. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 Wow! 30,000 bees in 3 hours? You see those heads flying?? Nasty little buggers. Saw a few (suzumebachi?) hiking yesterday around Rokko. Theyre pretty aggressive. Link to post Share on other sites
echineko 1 Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 Keep away, I hate them. Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 Excellent vid there. Nasty buggers. Link to post Share on other sites
oblivion 5 Posted June 17, 2004 Share Posted June 17, 2004 Vicious bastards. Poor bees. But these things arent suzumebachi are they?? Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted June 17, 2004 Share Posted June 17, 2004 I think Hornets are suzumebachi and kumabachi are carpenter bees. Link to post Share on other sites
BulbFish 0 Posted June 19, 2004 Share Posted June 19, 2004 Amazing video that. I wouldn't want to meet one of them out on a picnic. Link to post Share on other sites
blinkin'ek 0 Posted June 19, 2004 Share Posted June 19, 2004 I've seen an attack in progress (from a fairly safe distance). Horrific things, very vicious. Great vid. Link to post Share on other sites
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