The Asian Giant Hornet, also known as ‘murder hornets’, arrived in the U.S in late 2019 when the beekeeper, Custer Wash, found an entire hive of bees destroyed in Washington state.

These giant hornets can grow up to two inches long. Their diets consist of large insects, colonies of insects, tree sap, and honey from honeybee colonies. 

The Asian Giant Hornets can be hostile if aggravated. If irritated, its venom is injected by its 6.25 mm long stinger and it attacks the human body’s nervous system and breaks the tissue of its victims.

These hornets originated from Japan, China, and many more Asian countries. Their nests are mostly made in forests and low mountains. They avoid higher elevations and flatlands along with tropical environments. 

The way honey bees eliminate these much larger creatures is by attracting them into the honeybee hive. Once the giant hornet is inside the hive, it will strike one of the honeybees, this is a clue to the rest of the honeybees to charge at it. While the Asian Giant Hornets are bigger than honeybees, the honeybees outnumber the hornet by a large quantity. They will then start to vibrate and make heats of 114 F°. By doing this, they basically cook the hornet alive and kill it. 

As I mentioned before, these giant hornets can be harmful when provoked. The stings can be so bad they can cause kidney failure. In the year 2013, the Asian Giant Hornets killed 41 people and injured more than 1,600 people in China. The venom from these hornets can even cause anaphylactic shock or cardiac arrest.

As of right now, the Asian Giant Hornet is the most dangerous hornet that causes 30-50 human deaths annually in Japan. 

Ever wonder how plastic gets in our ocean? Plastic makes its way into the ocean due to human activity. Instead of recycling plastic as we are supposed to, it ends up in the trash can. From the trash can, that plastic goes to a landfill. Because the plastic is so light, it will often fly off and that’s when it starts going into bodies of water and streets. 

Plastic affects the ocean because it can kill wildlife, fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Because of the plastic floating in the ocean, often times animals tend to get tangled in it and die. They also mistake it for food. Sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and often end up choking on them and dying. 

Plastic in the ocean has a negative impact on the environment. According to the United Nations Environment, plastic can release toxic effects. Chlorinated plastic can release harmful chemicals into the surrounding soil, which can seep into groundwater or any other surrounding water sources, and also the ecosystem. This is dangerous because it can cause harmful effects to the species who drink water.

There are long term effects of having plastic in the ocean. Some of them can be toxic wastes. This can then affect marine wildlife along with the food chain and any reproductive system failures. It can interrupt the cycle of the coral reefs. And it can also affect human health. 

Some of the more short term effects of having plastic in the ocean. Plastic in the ocean can pollute the ocean and any waterways, which then has harmful impacts on the environment and the economy. Many sea life creatures eat plastic and die from choking, blockage in the intestines and starvation. 

There are many things the human species can do to help stop plastic from getting into the ocean, or any other body of water. We can reduce our use of Single-Use plastics (think like plastic straws, Saran Wrap, or plastic cups, etc.). We can start to recycle properly or participate in a beach or river cleanup. You can also support any organizations that address plastic pollution problems.