Fun Fact

A new study shows honeybees 'scream' to warn of giant hornet attack.

Honeybees alert their hives when a giant hornet is near, using antipredator pipes that sound like screaming. The sound doesn’t come from their mouths but is produced by the vibrations of their wings.

Giant hornets can wipe out entire bee colonies in just a few hours, posing an increasing threat to the honeybee populations of the USA and elsewhere - a big reason we really don’t want them here in New Zealand as bee’s are hugely beneficial to the kiwifruit industry.

The Asian Giant Hornet is one of the most unwanted in the annual pest calendar – see its page, including images, features, and likely impacts, here.