Japanese Giant Hornets (Vespa mandarinia japonica)

Here are five scary facts about these big buggers:

• They kill on average 40 people a year
• If perceived as a threat they will chase the victim (which could be a human) for up to 3 miles
• They can fly at speeds up to 25 miles per hour
• They release a pheromone that draws other hornets from the nest
• They have a venom that when injected from the 0.246 inch stinger attacks the nervous system and damages tissues of the victims

The Japanese names for these hornets are "Oo-Suzumebachi" or "Giant Sparrow Bee" and they can be up to 1.6 inches (4 cm) long with a 2.5 inch (6 cm) wingspan in size. They kill more than any other wild animals in Japan, put together including bears and snakes!

The Japanese Giant Hornets prey on bee hives and when they locate one they leave their pheromone markers around it to attract their nest mates that soon surround the hive. The hornets can kill 40 bees in one minute and can take over a whole hive with a group of 30 hornets in just over 3 hours. They not only kill the bees (see video link below) but dismember them leaving them literally cut in half. The hornets then gorge on the bees honey.

Although tragic for the bees in this situation, they do have their own defense. They gather together in an angry cloud formation of up to 500 bees to surround the hornet/hornets. As they form a tight ball around the hornet, the fluttering of their wings increases the heat creating an oven from their body heat to overtake the hornet. Bees can survive in higher temperatures then the hornet therefore the hornet will eventually die and the bee wins.  You can see both attacks in action from the video link below by National Geographic. It is definately worth a watch.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P7Q1ncgcoY&feature=related

The Japanese Giant Hornets are seriously aggressive by the way they are made they have four chemicals that mix together to cause this aggressiveness. I did always wonder what the point was in the creation of wasps/hornets I can understand why bees serve their purpose but wasps and hornets? The ones we have in Ireland are useless and just pests. At least now I understand why they chase you when they know you are in fear of them they are just plain evil! Although aggressive, the hornets are not supposed to attack you unless you are a threat to their hive. I do not trust this information as the wasps over here just attack me for no reason at all. I could be standing in a wide open space and just get attacked by them. This follows by me screaming, running and making a show of myself in fear.

On conclusion I should of perhaps waited until after I get back Japan to research this information. I hate wasps, bees and especially hornets more than anything and have a serious fear of them. To add to this I am venturing to the islands down south to explore and hike for a few days. Now I am having second thoughts! I do not fancy being chased by one of these for 3 miles. Then again I would probably die of shock by the mere sight of it. Wish me luck... I will report back when I get back in September if one of these evil creatures has not killed me beforehand !!!