There’s been a lot of hype recently over the so called “murder hornets” that have been discovered in Washington state.

These two-inch, bird-like insects are monstrous: their venomous stings are some of the most painful in the world; they decimate bee populations (inadvertently decimating tree and flower growth, and herbivore diets); and if a person is stung by enough of them, it can be lethal.

Which is why the mainstream fearmongering media nick-named these things “murder hornets”  — it’s catchy, it conjures up terrifying images and it’s vaguely accurate.

Except the “murder hornets” that have been confirmed in the US aren’t murdering anyone here (not yet at least) and their presence doesn’t even necessarily indicate any kind of “invasion.”  They’ve been spotted and their presence verified, but there’s no evidence that these things are taking over the Pacific Northwest or spreading beyond there any time soon.

Which is great news. With all of this COVID madness I don’t know if society could have handled a full-blown murder hornet invasion right now. Our plates are already full (and so are our hospitals) — we don’t need another plague to wreak havoc on our way of life. 2020 has been a brutal enough year already without hummingbird-sized hornets swarming the land.

Nevertheless, it’s good to stay informed and educated about these things. The Asian giant hornet is here, regardless of whether or not it’s an invasion, so it’s not unwise to learn something about them.

Lucky for us, we’ve got people like Coyote Peterson with the Brave Wilderness Youtube channel; who, can not only answer our pressing questions about these foreign invaders, but who’s also willing to put his own skin on the line and let one of these fuckers sting him. For education and, of course, entertainment.  

So, get yourself educated — with 10 facts you should probably know about these oversized hornets.