The sting of the Asian giant hornet is the most poisonous among all domestic bees. (Image courtesy of Yonhap News)
SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Korea Bizwire) – The sting of the Asian giant hornet is the most poisonous among all domestic bees. It’s also worth noting that honeybees can be surprisingly toxic. In fact, the venom of the most toxic Asian giant hornet is only 1.3 times more toxic than that of honeybees.
Researchers from the National Arboretum, in collaboration with Professor Choi Moon-bo from Kyungpook National University, recently shared the results of a four-year study. They measured the toxicity of five different wasp species by injecting purified wasp venom into laboratory rats and determining the amount of venom needed to kill half of the animals.
The findings revealed that the Asian giant hornet had the highest toxicity, followed by honeybees, the yellow-vented hornet, the yellow hornet, and the Asian hornet.
According to the National Forest Service, it’s essential to recognize that bee venom is also potent, but wasps are more dangerous. This is because, unlike bees, they inject a large amount of venom through continuous stinging and often attack in groups.
Every year, particularly around the Chuseok festival, there is an increase in wasp stings due to an increase in outdoor activities like weeding. Over the past five years, approximately 70,000 people have been hospitalized for bee stings, with 30 percent of these cases occurring in September.
To raise awareness about the dangers of wasp stings, the National Arboretum is hosting a special exhibit this week from Tuesday to Friday titled “Hornets, Stinging Friends”.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
