Giant Yak Killer Hornets

J

jmings

Joined
Aug 20, 2005
Messages
488

Giant Yak Killer Hornets
The giant Asian hornet (Vespa mandarinia) has earned the nickname “yak killer” from local villagers. At nearly 2 inches long, they’re the world’s largest hornets. Victims describe their quarter-inch-long stingers as feeling like a hot nail. The stinger delivers a lethal venom that dissolves human tissue, and, as the name implies, can kill a yak.
ig43_yak_killer_02.jpg

==============================================
On the other hand, from the land of the rising sun:

"Hornets From Hell" Offer Real-Life Fright

_39450788_hornethoney.jpg


cafehornet.jpg
 
Demon-spawned winged monsters that chug organic energy drinks when they're not otherwise occupied terrorizing people and killing livestock, complete with a closeup picture.

Lovely. Exactly how I wanted to start my weekend.

I'd hate you if I didn't get such a kick out of stuff like this, Jerry. :)
 
I've seen a couple of Discovery shows about these monsters. Very aggressive and can be deadly with only a few stings. I remember one of the stories a widow told of how she was attacked by some of these hornets, her husband was able to get her away and get them to come after him. He didn't make it. She said she his face was completely melted by the time the hornets left and the authorities could get to his body.
They also like to wipe out honey bees and steal their larva for baby food. Something like a dozen of these things can destroy a hive in just a few hours:eek: They fly in and bite the heads off of every bee they can find. American honey bees in asia have no defense for this attack. If the hornets find them, they are just destroyed.
HOWEVER, the asian honey bees have a way to combat this. The giant hornet always sends a scout first. The scout will get as close to the hive as she can get before the honey bees swarm. If they let her, she will climb all the way back into the hive!:eek: The bees let her in. Once she is deep within the hive, they jump her. They then begin to vibrate and raise their collective body temp. Honey bees can withstand something like 106 degrees before they die. Hornets can only withstand 104. They raise it to exactly 105 and cook her to death. They might lose several dozen workers in the fight, but at least the hive lives.

Pretty cool stuff:)

Jake
 
American honey bees in asia
Click to expand...

My favorite movie of all time:thumbup: :rolleyes:

I saw a documentary of these hornets that showed them biting honey bees in half. I don't know if they mentioned their effect of humans, but I think we get the better end of the stick compared to being bitten in half:eek:

The giant hornet always sends a scout first. The scout will get as close to the hive as she can get before the honey bees swarm. If they let her, she will climb all the way back into the hive! The bees let her in. Once she is deep within the hive, they jump her. They then begin to vibrate and raise their collective body temp. Honey bees can withstand something like 106 degrees before they die. Hornets can only withstand 104. They raise it to exactly 105 and cook her to death. They might lose several dozen workers in the fight, but at least the hive live
Click to expand...

I thought that was amazing too!! and somewhat devious and sinister--in a good way
 
Me and every eight year old want to know: which is the biggest? Japan's or Asia's giant wasp?



munk
 
Having been stung by a couple of wasps and one bee Ican tellyou I wouldn,t want to mess with anything more serious than that .Interesting beasts . I like the honey bee defense . Looks like global warming is good for something after all .
 
Looking into the eyes on that hornet in the picture, I see no mercy either. Hope these don't spread to other countries!
 
<<<<I like the honey bee defense . Looks like global warming is good for something after all >>>> Kevin the Grey



<<<<<Honey bees can withstand something like 106 degrees before they die. Hornets can only withstand 104. They raise it to exactly 105 and cook her to death. They might lose several dozen workers in the fight, but at least the hive lives.>>>> Steely Gunz [italics mine]


I do believe we can safely call them a, "Baker's Dozen."




munk
 
Thinking about evolution, and the prediction by many that insects will one day rule the planet, the Hornets might be a signal of a turning point.
Right now Cougars, Grizzly Bears, Tigers and Lions look at Man as a meal. So Mammals already know. There are several insects who make a living off of us. Mosquito's, fleas, tics, worms, gnats. It starts out small, see? Just a few bites here and there. Just a nibble. Right now the Hornets give a sting that knocks us down; but what is coming? Before you know it, the black clouds of Locusts that once ate corn will dine on rib roast- using our ribs.

eeek



munk
 
Dave Rishar said:
Demon-spawned winged monsters that chug organic energy drinks when they're not otherwise occupied terrorizing people and killing livestock, complete with a closeup picture.

Lovely. Exactly how I wanted to start my weekend.

I'd hate you if I didn't get such a kick out of stuff like this, Jerry. :)
Click to expand...

Vincent Price said:
Plesant dreams!
Click to expand...
;) :D ;) :D ;)
 
munk said:
Thinking about evolution, and the prediction by many that insects will one day rule the planet, the Hornets might be a signal of a turning point.
Right now Cougars, Grizzly Bears, Tigers and Lions look at Man as a meal. So Mammals already know. There are several insects who make a living off of us. Mosquito's, fleas, tics, worms, gnats. It starts out small, see? Just a few bites here and there. Just a nibble. Right now the Hornets give a sting that knocks us down; but what is coming? Before you know it, the black clouds of Locusts that once ate corn will dine on rib roast- using our ribs.

eeek
munk
Click to expand...

how about ... http://youtube.com/watch?v=8CL2hetqpfg GIANT centipede vs mouse, which loses, dramatically.

DO NOT WATCH THIS if you are at all squeamish. you have been warned.

if you DO watch this, and well, don't blame me. your penance shall be to send me all your fullered khukris, especially with need, and especially 20 and 22 inch, not that i'm specific. please include a GRS and/or AK as well. address to follow ;)

squee!

bladite
 
I wish I had not watched that Bladite, but I couldn't help it. My wife was bitten by the slightly smaller, yet quite nasty in its own right, Hawaiian centipede one night in bed---no fun at all!!
 
MauiRob said:
I wish I had not watched that Bladite, but I couldn't help it. My wife was bitten by the slightly smaller, yet quite nasty in its own right, Hawaiian centipede one night in bed---no fun at all!!
Click to expand...

all centipedes are evil. ALL OF THEM.

all millipedes that i know of are good guys.

well, except even the nasty millipedes, at least the small don't bit human kind, tend to keep the pests down pretty well. spiders and millipedes and such are good to have in the basement.

TROPICAL millipedes. oiy. same for the BIG spiders. eek. they're not creepy, they're just BITEY. too much affection for me.

(when should i expect some khukris? less millipedes!)

bladite
 
That is something else . Does it actually eat it or just feed on it ? It looks more like the mouse just dries up as opposed to being consumed .
 
all centipedes are evil. ALL OF THEM.
Click to expand...

I worked with a local guy on Maui that told me he and his buddies in junior high used to remove the fangs (chelicerae) from the centipedes and let them crawl all over them--then chase the girls around with the centipedes (who of course didn't know about the "de-fanging" procedure).

I was wrong: not chelicerae. Maxillpeds.
All centipedes are predators. The first body segment contains a pair of clawlike appendages called maxillipeds, consisting of a modified pair of legs which are connected to venom glands inside the body. The sharp tips of the claws are used to penetrate the exoskeleton of a prey insect, and muscles in the centipede&#8217;s body squeeze the venom glands to force poison through the hollow fangs into the victim&#8217;s body. These claws can be used to kill prey ranging in size from insects and other arthropods to small vertebrates such as rodents or lizards. Although the venom is not particularly powerful in most species, punctures from a poison claw can be painful to humans, and some of the larger tropical centipedes can produce systemic effects and are potentially dangerous. There is one report in the literature of the death of a seven year old girl from the bite of a large tropical centipede in the Phillipine Islands (probably the species S. subspinipes).
Click to expand...

I CAN tell you that the feeling of all those spikey tipped legs crawling on your hand and grasping onto you is so far into the land of Heebee jeebees and the creeps, that I can't even think of it without my skin crawling!!!!!!!!!!!
 
When we moved into this house the first thing we noticed was all the dead insects on the floor. It had been shut a long time. Mostly flies, spiders, and millipedes. We swept them up. Before too long, though, with the disturbance to the carpet and the vibrations to the house from the footsteps and heavy boxes, the millipedes started to scurry for cover. They came out of every little crack you can imagine. Carter was about to squish one.

"No," I told him, "these are the good guys. They won't hurt you." I picked on up and it crawled around my palm.
"Cool", Carter said, and before too long he had one in his hand, then more.


From that time on he's made a conscious effort to escort all millipedes outside instead of scooping them into the vacumn cleaner. Spiders get squished, and Flies get whatever death is nearest at hand, but Carter and I spare the Millipedes.

It's the evil Centipedes you have to watch for.




munk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top