There's that oh-so-familiar sound
off in the distance.
It seems pretty far away,
so there's not much to worry about.
Wait.
It's getting louder.
Should I run?
Stay?
Oh no. It's too late.
They will snatch a honeybee out of the air,
viciously biting off its head and bringing it
back to their nest for their young to feed on.
Just a few dozen of these can decimate
thousands in only a few short hours.
The Asian giant hornet,
known as the murder hornet.
If they might be in the neighborhood,
Murder hornets don't usually attack humans.
However, they are considered an apex predator
at the top of the food chain.
They are very aggressive when it comes
to other insects.
That's where their murderous
reputation comes from.
But we are not entirely off the hook,
so it's essential to avoid them at all costs.
These Asian hornets can be found
in low altitude, wooded areas,
building their nests in the ground.
Murder hornets will attack sites
containing honeybees.
If you happen to wander into this territory
while they are stalking their next victims,
well, that leads to step two.
Run away as fast as you can.
Cover your face, and seek shelter.
If you have to jump in the water,
hopefully, you can hold your breath
for a very long time.
Because these flying honey badgers
will lie in wait until you surface.
But, before it gets that bad,
murder hornets can display a warning,
so be aware.
If you see them flying back and forth,
snapping their mandibles, or jaws,
that's a surefire sign
your in imminent danger.
It shouldn't be too difficult to notice
what they're doing,
because these things are enormous.
Murder hornets are the largest hornet globally,
with queens growing up to 5 cm (2 in) long.
with wingspans topping 7 cm (3 in).
A bug this big can be an easy target to just
swat away but don't.
Don't even think about it.
This will only make them angry,
and draw more of them to you.
Murder hornets are incredible fliers,
reaching speeds of up to 32 km/h (20 mph).
So if more show up, the odds
are stacked against you, and the last thing
you want is to experience the excruciating
pain of the murder hornet's sting.
And if this happens?
First of all, getting stung by a murder hornet
is like getting punctured by a red hot nail,
due to their long stingers.
The amount of venom a giant hornet can
inject is 1,100 mcg (0.0002 tsp).
This venom carries neurotoxins that can kill
red blood cells and dissolve skin.
It also has kinins, which dilate blood vessels,
mastoparan, a toxin, and phospholipase
which breaks down immune cells
and causes widespread inflammation.
Combining these together creates a deadly
cocktail that can degrade
blood and muscle cells.
This can stop your kidneys from working.
If you're not allergic to bee stings,
you'd need to be stung by a couple
hundred murder hornets before
the toxin kills you.
And that could happen.
If you can't escape, murder hornets
won't stop with one sting.
They'll continue to relentlessly sting away,
until they're satisfied you're
no longer a threat.
Talk about holding a grudge.
Okay, now that you know what is going on
in your body, and you fled the area,
treat a murder hornet sting like
a normal bee or wasp sting.
And don't rub the spot where
you've been stung,
as that will spread the venom.
Apply ice or a cold compress to the site
to lessen inflammation,
Seek medical attention.
You may seem fine, but don't risk having
a bad reaction to the venom.
Nathaniel Peterson provoked
a murder hornet into stinging him,
and described more than a day
of searing pain and changed to
a constant itching.
His arm swelled up like a hot dog.
If you know in advance that you could be
encountering these flying giants,
you'll want to make sure you're wearing
the right clothing.
Beekeepers and researchers working
with Asian hornets wear protective clothing
like thick sweatshirts and a beekeeper's
suit to avoid a hornet's stinger
penetrating their skin.
Unfortunately, no amount of protective
clothing will help you in
an elephant stampede,
or a hippo attack.
But don't worry, we've got you covered.
To be prepared, and stay alive, keep watching