US Scientists Find Way to Safely Remove ‘Murder Hornets’

Asian giant hornet, dubbed the "murder hornet", which was
trapped in Birch Bay, Washington on July 14 by Washington State
Department of Agriculture (WSDA) researchers, is seen in Olympia,
Washington, US July 29, 2020. WSDA/Chris Looney/Handout via REUTERS.
Asian giant hornet, dubbed the "murder hornet", which was trapped in Birch Bay, Washington on July 14 by Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) researchers, is seen in Olympia, Washington, US July 29, 2020. WSDA/Chris Looney/Handout via REUTERS.
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US Scientists Find Way to Safely Remove ‘Murder Hornets’

Asian giant hornet, dubbed the "murder hornet", which was
trapped in Birch Bay, Washington on July 14 by Washington State
Department of Agriculture (WSDA) researchers, is seen in Olympia,
Washington, US July 29, 2020. WSDA/Chris Looney/Handout via REUTERS.
Asian giant hornet, dubbed the "murder hornet", which was trapped in Birch Bay, Washington on July 14 by Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) researchers, is seen in Olympia, Washington, US July 29, 2020. WSDA/Chris Looney/Handout via REUTERS.

It's the largest hornet in the world and one of the most invasive species threatening American crops today. Now, scientists in California claim they know how the Asian giant hornet, also known as the 'murder hornet', can be stopped dead in its tracks, according to The Daily Mail.

The researchers say the deadly species (Vespa mandarinia) leaves secreted chemicals called 'pheromones' on surfaces during its attempts to attract a mate. These pheromones can be tracked as part of efforts to bait and trap the insect, known for its painful and toxic sting that can kill humans through kidney failure.

The Asian giant hornet is most common in Japan, although it's also found in China, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam and other Asian countries. It also has an expanding footprint in North America, where it's considered 'invasive' – although experts can't say for sure how it arrived there.

The species threatens North American bee populations and millions of dollars worth of crops. Thankfully, it's not present in Europe – yet. The new study has been led by Professor James Nieh, a bee researcher at the University of California San Diego, and published recently in the journal Current Biology.

“The Asian giant hornets don’t belong in North America and harm our critical bee populations, so we should remove them,” he said.

The fearsome Asian giant hornet is known for its size – queens can reach lengths of more than 2 inches (5cm), while males and the female workers are smaller (1.3 inch to 1.5 inch). Scientists are not clear how the species first came to North America, although it's thought they were unintentionally shipped over somehow.

In recent years, it's has been seen in British Columbia and Washington state, while modeling simulations indicate the insects could rapidly spread throughout the eastern US.

To learn more about the Asian giant hornet's chemical signature, Professor Nieh and his colleagues placed traps near the species' nests in the Western US. They captured only male hornets, but no females.

During their experiments the scientists tested the hornet's neural activity and found that male antennae were highly sensitive to pheromones released by females.

“The males are drawn to the odors of the females since they typically mate with them near their nests,” said study author Professor Nieh.



Peru Gas Workers Find Thousand-year-old Mummy

Peruvian gas workers discovered the mummy of a boy believed to be over 1,000 years old while installing pipes in Lima. Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP
Peruvian gas workers discovered the mummy of a boy believed to be over 1,000 years old while installing pipes in Lima. Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP
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Peru Gas Workers Find Thousand-year-old Mummy

Peruvian gas workers discovered the mummy of a boy believed to be over 1,000 years old while installing pipes in Lima. Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP
Peruvian gas workers discovered the mummy of a boy believed to be over 1,000 years old while installing pipes in Lima. Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP

Peruvian gas workers this week found a thousand-year-old mummy while installing pipes in Lima, their company said, confirming the latest discovery of a pre-Hispanic tomb in the capital.

The workers found the trunk of a huarango tree (a species native to coastal Peru), "which served as a tomb marker in the past," at a depth of 50 centimeters (20 inches), archaeologist Jesus Bahamonde, scientific coordinator of Calidda gas company, told reporters.

The mummy of a boy aged between 10 and 15, was found at a depth of 1.2 meters, he added, said AFP.

"The burial and the objects correspond to a style that developed between 1000 and 1200," he said.

The remains discovered on Monday were found "in a sitting position, with the arms and legs bent," according to Bahamonde.

They were found in a shroud which also contained calabash gourds.

Ceramic objects, including plates, bottles and jugs decorated with geometric figures and figures of fishermen, were found next to the mummy.

The tomb and artifacts belong to the pre-Inca Chancay culture, which lived in the Lima area between the 11th and 15th centuries.

They were discovered while gas workers were removing earth from an avenue in the Puente Piedra district of northern Lima.

In Peru, utility companies must hire archaeologists when drilling the earth, because of the possibility of hitting upon heritage sites.

Calidda has made more than 2,200 archaeological finds since 2004.

Lima is home to over 500 archaeological sites, including dozens of "huacas" as ancient cemeteries are known in the Indigenous Quechua language.