If you’re not fond of hornets, don’t go to Japan.
A Japanese woman discovered a ridiculously large insect crawling all over her one of her jumpers.
And this is what it looked like:
For those that are hoping the woman’s jumpers are actually just miniature and the hornet is a normal size – unfortunately that’s not the case.
The hornet from hell is actually real. It’s better known as the giant Asian hornet, and they have a venom powerful enough to dissolve human tissue.
It’s believed that the beast in question may have been the queen, as giant Asian hornets are most active between August and October but start to come out of hibernation in April – and it’s generally the queen that wakes up first.
Fortunately, the woman managed to get rid of it with a maths compass and put it outside without getting stung.
But the giant Asian hornet is not an insect to mess with. In France, six people died as a result of anaphylaxis from Asian hornet stings after it was believed the hornets were important on a Chinese plant.
There were fears that the giant hornets – which can kill 40 honey bees in one go – might make their way to Britain. And although a few were reported to be seen, fortunately, no known cases of fatal stings have been reported.
Carolyne Liston, chairwoman of the Norfolk Beekeepers’ Association, told The Telegraph last year:
They are a very, very aggressive predator. They wait by the entrance and grab foraging bees as they come back into the hive.
They can absolutely decimate bee colonies.
The hornets are usually two inches long – and they’re absolutely terrifying.
If you ever see one, it’s probably best to stay away. Far away.
