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Friday, March 29, 2024

Creighton biologists discuss murder hornets

Credit: KMTV Action 3 News
Duration: 02:23s 0 shares 1 views

Creighton biologists discuss murder hornets
Creighton biologists discuss murder hornets
Creighton biologists discuss murder hornets

UP OVER THE MURDERHORNET AN INSECTKNOWN FOR ITSABILITY TO KILLOTHER BUGS AND ITSARRIVAL TO THEUNITED STATES.REPORTER PHILBERGMAN SAT DOWNWITH TWOCREIGHTON BIOLOGYPROFESSORS TO FINDOUT IF THIS ISSOMETHING WE NEEDTO "BEE" AFRAID OF.WITH CORONAVIRUSCAUSING CONCERN INMARCH AND APRIL,THERE'S A NEWMONSTER TO LOSESLEEP OVER THISMAYMEET VESPAMANDARINIATHEASIAN GIANTHORNETORCOMMONLY KNOWNBY ITS NICKNAMETHEMURDER HORNET.IT LOOKS VERYNASTY, IT LOOKSPREDATORY AND CANRIP THE HEAD OFF OFBEES.WITH A NIGHTMARISHFACE AND A MASSIVESTINGER THE ASIANGIANT HORNET IS NOTTO BE MESSED WITH.HOWEVER, DR.CAROL FASBINDER-ORTH TOLD ME THEBUZZ AROUND THENICKNAME IS A LITTLESENSATIONALIZED.IT CAN DECIMATEENTIRE COLONIES SOTHE MURDER ASPECTCOMES FROM THEPREDATORY NATURETOWARDS OTHERINSECTS.MOST NOTICEABLEABOUT THE ASIANGIANT HORNET IS ITSSIZE, WHICHMEASURES NEARLYTWO INCHESLONGTHOUGH APREDATOR TOINSECTS, THEHORNET'S STING CANBE LETHAL TOHUMANS.DOCTOR TED BURK ATCREIGHTON SAYSDOZENSDIE EACHYEAR FROM IT.HE SAYS WORD ONTHE STREET IS IFYOU'RE STUNG TENOR MORE TIMES BY ITYOU SHOULD GO TOTHE HOSPITAL.THEY ARE BAD NEWS.LIKE ANY BEE THEREARE PEOPLE WHO AREALLERGIC.ONE STING COULD BEVERY BAD NEWS.SCIENTISTS SAY THEHORNET PLAYS ACRUCIAL ROLE TO THEECOSYSTEM, BUTTHEY'RE UNSURE YETWHAT IMPACTS ITCOULD HAVE ONHONEYBEES IN THEU-S.HONEYBEES ARE SOIMPORTANT TO USAGRICULTURALLY ANDIT DIDN'T COEVOLVE INTHE SAME LOCATIONAS EUROPEANHONEYBEES THAT WEUSE SO THERE IS NODEFENSE AGAINST IT.THE INSECT MADEWAY TO THE UNITEDSTATES THIS PASTFALLSCIENTISTSAREN'T EVEN SURE IFTHEY SURVIVED THEWINTER.THE HORNETS LIKELOW-MOUNTAINLANDS AND FORESTS,MAKING THEM LESS-LIKELY TO SWARMACROSSTHEMIDWEST,THOUGH ONE CITYDOES FIT ITS M-O.THERE ARE AREAS,ALONG THE RIVERPLACES LIKE THEOMAHA AREA WHEREIT COULD LOOK THEHABITAT IS SUITABLEFOR THEM BUT OUT INTHE PLAINS ORSANDHILLS I DON'TTHINK THEY'D EVERBE A PROGRAM.REPORTING INOMAHA, PHILBERGMAN, 3 NEWSNOW.SCIENTISTS SAY IT'SIMPORTANT TOREMEMBER THAT THEASIAN GIANT HORNETPLAYS A CRUCIALROLE IN THEECOSYSTEM ANDTHOUGH SCARY, IT'SIMPORTANT THATHUMANS DON'T TRYTO ERADICATE THEM.

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