“Knock knock.” “Who’s there?” “GIGANTIC MURDEROUS HORNETS FROM CHINA EVERYBODY PANIC.”
Twenty-eight people have died and hundreds have been injured in a wave of attacks by giant hornets in central China, according to reports.
Victims described being chased for hundreds of metres by the creatures and stung as many as 200 times. [The Guardian]
Chinese bee experts suspect that the uptick in attacks may be due to the warmer than usual summer allowing the huge hornets — which can grow to about two inches in length — to “breed more successfully.” There is nothing good about that sentence. Or this next blockquote.
The insects’ highly toxic stings can lead to anaphylactic shock and renal failure. An official from Ankang’s disease control centre urged people to seek medical help if they received more than 10 stings, and warned that emergency treatment was required for those stung more than 30 times.
One woman in her 50s said she had spent almost a month in hospital and was still incontinent after receiving more than 200 stings. A man from her village died of kidney failure.
The only saving grace in all of this is that the bees only attack if they’ve been disturbed, so no one spoil Breaking Bad for them, okay?