What do we really know about the “murder hornets” that have been creating a buzz throughout the country in the last week or so? First of all, some say it’s irresponsible to call them that.
“I think it’s wrong to call them murder hornets," said Ryan Gott, an entomologist at Phipps Conservatory. “The only thing they’re really killing are caterpillars and honeybees and things, they’re not killing people, and so the name is just creating a panic.”
Gott claims the term “murder hornet” is a media creation that has never been a term used by entomologists. The actual name of the insect is the Asian giant hornet.
Channel 11 asked Gott if western Pennsylvanians need to be worried about its migration across the U.S.? So far, the only confirmed sightings have been in the state of Washington.
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“If it did somehow spread in the future, because it’s not in Pennsylvania right now, biggest worries would be for the apiculture industry — so beekeepers and their bees," Gott said.
He said the damage these hornets can do could be extremely harmful, and quick.
Bees are the main target, but if you are stung by this insect, just like a bee sting, it can be extremely painful and, in some rare cases, deadly.
“Just like any other bee or wasp ... someone could (have) an allergic reaction and that could be bad for some people,” Gott said.
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