Asian Giant Hornet Misconceptions Pt 1
I’m Bob Larson. As we approach the time of year when the Department of Agriculture would like people to keep an eye out for Asian Giant Hornets, it seems some people have some misconceptions when it comes to these large stinging insects.
The DOA’s Karla Salp says there are a few hornet myths to debunk …
SALP … “I think part of it is along the, sort of, moniker it got, the “Murder Hornet” name. That, probably one of the biggest misconceptions is how dangerous they are to people.”
But, Salp says that doesn’t mean no threat at all …
SALP … “They are a threat to people, especially if you’re allergic to bee stings, for example. But, you know, if you encounter one and get a sting, you’re going to remember it because it’s going to hurt, but, you know, it’s not going to be a life-threatening situation unless you have an allergy of some kind.”
The biggest concern, Salp says is with the bees …
SALP … “The honeybees are obviously the main concern for our pollination, but it could have serious impacts to a lot of different insects.”
Have there been any attacks on honeybees in Washington? …
SALP … “Yeah, we have, just not last year. The weird thing is, we didn’t get any reports of that last year. We got reports of it the year before and that’s when we were initially getting these reports of Asian Giant Hornets.”
Tune in tomorrow for more Asian Giant Hornet misconceptions.
