The Bee Ball

Many of you (myself included) were disturbed by my post on Giant Japanese Wasps, and the utter destruction they can visit upon unsuspecting honey bees (killing every single worker bee before absconding with the bee larvae). One thought I had was, why aren't the bees defending themselves?

Turns out bee stingers aren't strong enough to pierce the chitinous hides of the wasp. But native Japanese bees have developed a very effective response to the wasp attack. The Bee Ball.





















The tactic: when a wasp is first spotted, about 100 worker bees hang out by the hive opening and keep it open, thereby luring the wasp inside. Once the wasp has entered, 500 bees, who were lying in wait, swarm the wasp and latch onto it in a bee ball as seen above. The bees then begin to buzz and flap their wings, raising the temperature inside the ball to 47 degrees celsius. The bees can tolerate the temperature just fine, but the wasp has already reached its fatal limit at 45 degrees. The bees literally cook the invader to death.

Honey bees FTW. One more reason to keep a special place in your heart for the little honey makers. And one more reason to steer clear of group hugs.

Thanks for the link, omgwtf.

Ugly Song and Dance

I've been saving this for a special occasion. I wasn't sure what that occasion would be, but now I know: it's to wipe from your mind the horrifying image of that wasp in the last post.

These are some Japanese children singing about the aye-aye. I'm not sure what they're saying other than some stuff about its long tail and round eyes, but I know that it's perfectly charming and innocent and there are no giant insects involved whatsoever.

You're welcome.
-Wombat (No Relation)

Bee Maggots

I never get to post on honey bees, save for the occasional giant Asian wasp post. Here's my chance.

Take a look inside those honeycomb brood chambers and see the little bee larvae. Little bee maggots. Technically, I can't call them maggots, since 'maggot' refers to fly larvae. But until I'm told the proper name for bee larvae (and there may not be one, though an agriculturalist might be able to set me straight), I'll stick with maggot.

But such is the strength of my sweet tooth that I will be having Honey Nut Cheerios, despite all the maggots. And no, this post was not brought to you by General Mills.

Photo source: Chrissie Jamieson

When Hornets Attack

I've posted on the Japanese Giant Hornet before. But Erik has forwarded an article which sheds a bit more light on these enormous insects that must be shared.

First off, they're huge. As big as a man's thumb. That's a game ender right there.
















Secondly, their eating habits. They love honeybees. In fact, if a hornet finds a hive, it will spray it with its acid/phermone spray and summon its own hive mates (about thirty individuals). Over the next couple of hours, this small tactical team can literally dismember an entire hive of thousands of bees. They rampage through the hive, tear every living bee apart, leaving behind only limbs and body segments, and then carry off the bee larvae to feed to their own wasp larvae. Vespa japonica is a freaky insect.

But that's not all.

Lastly, humans don't want to encounter these in the wild. That same acid spray will be aimed at your eyes. It's a blend of acid and pheromone, the latter of which will summon all nearby wasps to join the stinging fray. Not only will the acid begin to consume your flesh, but the stinging just might finish you off. 40 people die each year in Japan as a result of these attacks.

Thanks, Erik.
















Here's some video of a hornet attack on a beehive: