As if 2020 needed anything more to qualify as the craziest year on record, now the bees are revolting.
As America comes to grips with a (small, really not anything to worry about) infestation of “murder hornets” in Washington state, it must now contend with an “aggressive swarm” of bees that attacked and killed three dogs in Arizona, the New York Post reported.
The attack happened at a home in Tucson, where firefighters responded to douse the bees with foam to get them to stop attacking.
“Crews are foaming the aggressive bees before tending to the other dogs. We never enjoy killing precious bees, but in these rare cases it is necessary,” the Tucson Fire Department tweeted.
The department followed up those tweets with updates, including notice that all three dogs involved in the attack died from their injuries. Two of the dogs “passed away shortly after arriving at the vet,” the fire department tweeted.
“Please be mindful of your animals always, but particularly when there are bees on your property,” the department added.
The attack involving bees comes just two weeks after it was first reported that Asian giant hornets were found in Washington State. Nicknamed “murder hornets,” the insects measure two inches long, can wipe out an entire colony of bees in a few hours, and have stingers so long and powerful they can puncture beekeeping suits, the Post reported.
“With queens that can grow to two inches long, Asian giant hornets can use mandibles shaped like spiked shark fins to wipe out a honeybee hive in a matter of hours, decapitating the bees and flying away with the thoraxes to feed their young,” The New York Times reported after the hornets were discovered. “For larger targets, the hornet’s potent venom and stinger — long enough to puncture a beekeeping suit — make for an excruciating combination that victims have likened to hot metal driving into their skin.”
For those who have some kind of desire to know what it’s like to be stung by one of these winged monsters, The Daily Wire’s Joseph Curl has you covered.
Even though they sound scary, a Washington, D.C., bee expert said recently that “everyone should chill the hell out” about “murder hornets.”
As The Daily Wire’s Amanda Prestigiacomo reported, the president of the D.C. Bee Keepers Alliance, Toni Burnham said “There is no more a murder hornet than there is a killer bee,” adding that “They’re both stupid names.”
“These things have been around, and there are techniques for controlling them,” the bee expert added.
“Let [Washington state] handle it, and everyone calm down,” she said. “Have a beer.”
Still, the fact that they can kill a mouse in minutes makes them pretty darn scary.
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