Murder Hornets

[digitS']

This might be on par with @Dirtmechanic 's post last night about microbes coming back to life after 100 million years.

Murder Hornets

Washington State Department of Aaaaagg! -- LINK

Steve

 

[digitS']

Okay.

I'll calm down.

'Murder hornet' mania reveals dangers of fearing insects and spiders

In the U.S., a culturally rooted animosity and ignorance toward bugs can be harmful to both them and us.

api.nationalgeographic.com

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

i remember the panic about the africanized honey bees taking over the country. that was a long time ago.

fire ants are much worse. if someone felt they had to be destructive they could learn how to disrupt those and go south to start fighting them back. i've also heard about crazy ants being a challenge. ants are tough customers to eradicate but it can be done with a very concerted/coordinated effort.

the invasive hornets, yes, it would be good if you could fight them back now before they really get established and spread even further. some really dedicated people could make a lot of difference now while it is still early.

 

[Rammy]

I read somewhere they are trying to do that now.

 

[digitS']

Sheesh!

Well, I'm not gonna believe that we have turned any corners just yet!

Washington state discovers first 'murder hornet' nest in US

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Scientists in Washington state have discovered the first nest of so-called murder hornets in the United States and plan to wipe it out Saturday to protect native honeybees, officials said.

apnews.com

Typical of 2020, a fungus gnat showed up here in the South Window right in front of my face as I was reading this article!

digitS'

 

[flowerbug]

Sheesh!

Well, I'm not gonna believe that we have turned any corners just yet!

Washington state discovers first 'murder hornet' nest in US

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Scientists in Washington state have discovered the first nest of so-called murder hornets in the United States and plan to wipe it out Saturday to protect native honeybees, officials said.

apnews.com

Typical of 2020, a fungus gnat showed up here in the South Window right in front of my face as I was reading this article!

digitS'

i think fungus gnats are a minor thing in comparison.

the article sounds definite, so that is good that they found the nest before it could overwinter and perhaps that is the only one.

the hornets being so large they're going to stand out no matter where they end up so it may actually be easier to get after them and remove them while this is still early. just have to ask people to keep their eyes open and to get after the hornets when they're found so they can't spread around further and get more queens going. finding this nest now is a big step in the right direction.

 

[Collector]

Fungus gnats , is this something new or just the actual name of our local gnats.

 

[flowerbug]

Fungus gnats , is this something new or just the actual name of our local gnats.

not new at all here as i can find them by the billions out and about and i've had many thousands of them living in my worm buckets (but i now have a good control for them by letting some small spiders live in the buckets too). when walking in the woods during the winter sometimes you can find the fungus gnats on the snow like someone has sprinkled black pepper grinds around.

https://www.google.com/search?q=fungus+gnats and look at the images... many different kinds.

p.s. had to see if i could id spiders and they could be marsh spiders. very tiny, red, some are darker though, so perhaps some other species. very cute little guys. some day i should get some pictures of them.

 

[digitS']

@Collector , DW sets her potted plants outdoors every spring. They may stay a few weeks in the greenhouse during Autumn but, this time of year, in they come!

And, in come those tiny gnats. Like @flowerbug , you have probably seen them when there is a calm day and they show up and can be seen against a background of snow. Larva live in the soil so they arrive in the pots.

A couple years ago, I tried some of that Bt israelensis that is sprinkled on the soil surface. Worse fungus gnat winter ever! The yellow sticky traps catch them but completely take away from any aesthetic value for indoor plants ... in my estimation.

Steve

 

[catjac1975]

i remember the panic about the africanized honey bees taking over the country. that was a long time ago.

fire ants are much worse. if someone felt they had to be destructive they could learn how to disrupt those and go south to start fighting them back. i've also heard about crazy ants being a challenge. ants are tough customers to eradicate but it can be done with a very concerted/coordinated effort.

the invasive hornets, yes, it would be good if you could fight them back now before they really get established and spread even further. some really dedicated people could make a lot of difference now while it is still early.

They just found the hive in Washington state. One news broadcast and Americans are "seeing" them everywhere. They are taking to killing any bee they see just in case.