'There must be a nest': B.C. expert says invasive giant hornets have a home on Vancouver Island

[Teh One Who Knocks]

News staff, CTV Vancouver Island




The B.C. government's resident bee expert says three Asian giant hornets found in Nanaimo this summer likely aren’t the only ones on Vancouver Island.

The dangerous invasive species was discovered on the island in August but only revealed by the Ministry of Agriculture on Wednesday.

The revelation has local beekeepers worried as the world's largest hornets are known to feed on honeybees and can destroy entire colonies in a short time.

"The Asian giant hornets are the apex hunters of the insect world," provincial apiarist Paul Van Westendorp told CTV News.

"The fact that there are three proves there must be a nest."

The Asian hornets are thought to have likely travelled to the island in a shipping container. The four-centimetre-long hornets may pose a public health risk, said Van Westendorp.

"The amount of venom a person will get may well threaten their health, may well threaten their well-being," he said.

In 2013, 41 people in China were killed and 1,600 were injured when the predatory pests plagued the province of Shaanxi.

The hornets are native to East Asia, and the climate on Vancouver Island probably feels like home, Van Westendorp said.

"It can probably adapt to our environment very readily without any problems."

The apiarist said that hornets are currently entering their dormancy period, meaning they likely won't pose any threat until spring.

However, anyone who thinks they've spotted one of the invasive thumb-sized hornets is asked to report it immediately.

"Take a good photograph, in focus please, and just email it to us," Van Westendorp said. "Ninety-nine per cent of photographs can be identified right away."

Officials ask that people contact the Invasive Species Council of B.C. at 1-888-933-3722 or file a report through the government's "Report Invasives" mobile phone app found here.

[Hal-9000]

I saw something on the news about this. These things are so badass they're threatening the bee populations.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I saw something on the news about this. These things are so badass they're threatening the bee populations.

I wonder how long before they'll be in Alberta?

[Hal-9000]

I wonder how long before they'll be in Alberta?

We've set up the Western Wall in hopes of keeping the Hipster Millennials from coming here. It should work for wasps as well.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

[Hal-9000]

Fuck the fucking fuck and fuck off with that shit Lance.

[Godfather]

I saw something on the news about this. These things are so badass they're threatening the bee populations.

Ya really wild. I read the Asian bees adapted to them. Their stings dont work so they surround these giant wasps and vibrate them to death with their heat. Really neat.

Our bees in BC haven't adapted. Hopefully this species can be destroyed here before they spread... Not just for the bees either. 10 stings could apparently kill a man. That's scary shit. I got swarmed as a teenager playing paintball once (I lay on a nest without realizing it). Was wearing coveralls but my scalp and hands must've been stung a dozen times. I wanted to be dead for about an hour, then the itching started :lol

[Hal-9000]

Ya really wild. I read the Asian bees adapted to them. Their stings dont work so they surround these giant wasps and vibrate them to death with their heat. Really neat.

Our bees in BC haven't adapted. Hopefully this species can be destroyed here before they spread... Not just for the bees either. 10 stings could apparently kill a man. That's scary shit. I got swarmed as a teenager playing paintball once (I lay on a nest without realizing it). Was wearing coveralls but my scalp and hands must've been stung a dozen times. I wanted to be dead for about an hour, then the itching started :lol

I've never been stung by a bee, wasp, hornet *knocks on wood*

Vibrates them to death with heat?? Keep that shit away from the government

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I've never been stung by a bee, wasp, hornet *knocks on wood*

Vibrates them to death with heat?? Keep that shit away from the government

Really? Never?

[Hal-9000]

Really? Never?

My cousin and I used to catch wasps by hand (cup your hands together and into a jar) and nothing has ever stung me. I could be deathly allergic

[Godfather]

I've never been stung by a bee, wasp, hornet *knocks on wood*

Vibrates them to death with heat?? Keep that shit away from the government

That's lucky! Damn.

I've got weird bad luck with them. Stepped on a couple at the cabin as a kid, swarmed as I mentioned, and stung a number of times while landscaping as a summer job.

A few summers back my brother and I were at my uncle's cabin and went to go race kayaks early in the morning. I ran down to the dock and yelled "shotgun on the blue one." I hop into it and throw on the life jacket... fucking wasp IN THE JACKET starts shredding my stomach. Cue my brother rolling around laughing as I'm ripping the jacket off and running around yelling in anger.

[lost in melb.]

That's lucky! Damn.

I've got weird bad luck with them. Stepped on a couple at the cabin as a kid, swarmed as I mentioned, and stung a number of times while landscaping as a summer job.

A few summers back my brother and I were at my uncle's cabin and went to go race kayaks early in the morning. I ran down to the dock and yelled "shotgun on the blue one." I hop into it and throw on the life jacket... fucking wasp IN THE JACKET starts shredding my stomach. Cue my brother rolling around laughing as I'm ripping the jacket off and running around yelling in anger.

They are painful!

I recently stumbled across a sweet little yellow and black wood turtle and bent down to examine. It was struggling across a decent sized hole in the forest floor, knocking dirt down into it. As I straddled the little fella to get a closer look I noticed other little yellow and black things flying in and out of the hole. 1/2 a second later my bare legs were on fire

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Getting stung by one of those must be like getting shot.

[Hal-9000]

The person would drop on the spot because of the 30 kilograms of injected venom ffs

[Hal-9000]

damn


Okay full disclosure I shriek like a girl at a Bieber concert when one gets near me.

In fact picture this : Three guys (adults) sitting in a car at a huge public park during the day. They may be casually smoking a joint in the car. Suddenly, three cars doors fire open and those same three people eject from the car within .02 seconds, while screaming loudly and waving their hands in the air likes there's a fire.

All of us had a lil phobia about getting stung and a bee may have flown in