Asian giant hornet

Stories concerning the Asian giant hornet, Vespa mandarinia. Also known as the tiger-head hornet, or murder hornet.

Hiker dies after Asian giant hornet attack on mountain trail in southeastern Taiwan

Firefighters rescue hiker after hornet attack
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A hiking guide died in hospital after being stung more than 50 times as he attempted to protect a group of 20 students from a swarm of Asian giant hornets on a trail in Taitung County, yesterday, August 22. According to reports, the hiking group were traversing the Jinshuiying Ancient Trail from Pingtung County to Taitung County when they were attacked by a swarm of Asian giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia) around 2.5 kilometers from the trail exit in Dawu Township

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Hornets nest removed after 4 hikers stung in New Taipei City mountain district

Asian giant hornets and nest
Animals Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , ,

Specialist hornet catchers removed a nest of Asian Giant Hornets, after five hikers were stung in New Taipei City’s Ruifang District today. Keelung City Fire Department received a report at 10:46 am that three men and one woman were stung by hornets near the Tianwaitian Garden Cemetery. A 70-year-old man, a 64-year-old man, and a 60-year-old woman were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. A 69-year-old man sought medical treatment on his own. The female hiker, named Liu was the

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Hornet attack on hiking group leaves 2 dead, 9 injured

line of ambulances waiting for sting victims
Animals Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Eleven people in a group of 20 hikers were stung by hornets in New Taipei City’s Ruifang District today, and four people were seriously injured. Two men lost vital signs and were declared dead after arrival at the hospital. The New Taipei City Fire Department received reports of the hornet attack at 11:38 am. Twenty ambulances and 51 personnel were dispatched to the trailhead. A command post was set up at the trailhead, and a rescue team was sent to

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More than 20 people stung by hornet swarm in Kaohsiung mountain district

composite image hornet and ambulance
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Twenty-four people were stung, and 2 required hospitalization after a swarm of hornets attacked a group of 39 tourists in Kaohsiung City’s rural Namaxia District yesterday, October 31. The group of Kaohsiung City residents was visiting the Tangaanua Shrine as part of a tour of the Bunun indigenous people’s traditional culture when a child was stung by a Asian giant hornet at around 10:30 am. The frantic actions of the child attempting to wave the hornet away is believed to

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Tips on how to survive a hornet attack issued by Council of Agriculture

Asian giant hornet size
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

The Council of Agriculture issued advice on how to respond if attacked by hornets, in order to reduce the chance of serious injury from the potentially deadly insects. Taiwan is home to the world’s largest hornet, the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia), as well as other less, but still potentially dangerous, species of the Vespa genus. The COA quoted it’s advice from a workplace health and safety booklet “Outdoor Work Hornet Attack Prevention Manual.” The issue was in response to

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Trail closed after 4 hikers stung by hornets, one dies

people stung by Asian giant hornets
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A popular hiking trail in Ruifang District has been temporarily closed after four people were stung by Asian giant hornets in two separate incidents this weekend. A 73-year-old man named Lin and his 62-year-old wife, named Yang, were attacked by hornets while walking on the Sandiaoling Trail on September 24. Both were rushed to Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, but Ms Yang suffered an allergic reaction and organ failure and died yesterday, September 25. Mr Lin remains unconscious in the

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Elderly woman attacked by giant hornets while trapped on narrow ledge 7 floors up

elderly woman stuck on ledge on edge of building
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

An elderly woman in Yilan City accidentally locked herself out while hanging clothes outside a 7th-floor window, then got stuck on a narrow ledge and was attacked by a swarm of Asian giant hornets, today, September 5. The 80-year-old woman named Wang was trying to climb back into her apartment through a window when she accidentally touched an Asian giant hornet nest and was stung all over her body. Neighbors were alerted by Wang’s cries for help, and called 119

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Police officer stayed calm while giant hornet chewed into his ear

Giant hornet on man's face
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A police officer remained calm, and endured a Asian giant hornet gnawing into the flesh and cartilage of his ear for five minutes in order to avoid being stung, yesterday, December 5. Zhang Wen-long (張文勇), 51, was on duty at the Dajia River Power Plant at around 9:00 am, when the Asian giant hornet landed on the side of his face. Realizing the danger of being stung in the temple by the venomous insect, Zhang remained calm and avoided swiping

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Man stung to death while harvesting hornets

firefighters wearing protective equipment attend to the scene of an Asian giant hornet attack
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A 60-year-old man died on the way to hospital after being stung by Asian giant hornets while he was attempting to harvest a hive in Hsinchu County, in the evening of October 11. Mr Wang, from Beipu Township went to a remote valley with four other men to harvest hornets from a hive he had located several days before. Mr Wang was only wearing basic protective equipment, according firefighters. Wang was wearing a headlamp, which is believed to have drawn

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Hikers airlifted after being stung by hornets in Nantou County

hornet in Nantou County
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Two people were airlifted from a mountain trail in Nantou County after three out of a group of four were stung by hornets, and one lost consciousness today. The incident is just one of a spate of hornet attacks around Taiwan in the last few days. The group, consisting of two couples in their 60s, called emergency services for help after being attacked by hornets on a trail near Wanda Creek at around 2:00 pm this afternoon. An attempt to

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Worker Clearing Giant Hornets Falls to his Death

man who fell to his death at the bottom of a gorge
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

A man fell 40 meters to his death while attempting to remove a hive of Asian giant hornets in Taroko National Park today. The sixty year-old man named Yeh was working in a four-person team outsourced to deal with the hornets, which are also called tiger head hornets. National Parks authorities had deemed the hornets a threat to visitors in the park. The hive was described as being the size of two basketballs and located on a tree next to

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