BOULDER - Colorado is deploying tiny predator wasps imported from China as part of a state experiment aimed at annihilating invasive beetles threatening metro Denver trees.
The wasps target the eggs of emerald ash borer beetles, which have killed more than 50 million trees in 25 states.
According to the Denver Post, the wasps can pierce beetle eggs and lay their own eggs inside, devouring beetle eggs.
Officials say the bug-on-bug war to save an estimated 1.5 million metro Denver ash trees depends on keeping the wasps strong enough to make it through winter
Just in-case there is anyone on Earth who hasn't seen me repost IIOY's story:
Yesterday I discovered a wasps' nest in our mailbox post. I actually can't see it because it's underneath the ledge on which the mailbox sits, but there is a swarm of wasps going in and out so I know it's there.
This happened a couple years ago and I got stung so I need to take care of it.* Unfortunately my knight in shining and highly-protective armor is traveling indefinitely for work so it's on me.
Should I blast it with water from garden hose? Other suggestions that will keep me at a relatively safe distance?
*I was a sight when I got stung. I was so irate that some little shit insect had the nerve to mess with me that I marched into the house, grabbed some bug spray, and sprayed the fuck out of our mail box, yelling foul language the entire time. Meanwhile, my husband was standing helpless in the driveway watching me alternate between "OMG this hurts so much I'm going to hurl" and "DIE YOU FUCKING CUNT WASPS I WILL FUCK YOU UP YOU FUCKING FUCKERS YOU FUCKED WITH THE WRONG MOTHAFUCKA!!!" I kind of lost my shit for a moment.
I was just in CO and was surprised at how many dead trees there were in Rockie Mountain National Park. It looked like 1 lightening strike from a massive forest fire.
I don't know, this doesn't seem too upsetting to me. Wasps are beneficial insects, this is nothing new. If you grow tomatoes and have ever been plagued by hornworms, you've probably learned about how to attract wasps to your yard. Is it the importing from China part that is upsetting? I don't know if Chinese wasps are inherently "worse" than American wasps though, but I'd like to think the people in charge of this effort would be better versed in this than Kevin from the Internet.
People thought cane toads were beneficial, and look where Australia is now with them.
I don't know, this doesn't seem too upsetting to me. Wasps are beneficial insects, this is nothing new. If you grow tomatoes and have ever been plagued by hornworms, you've probably learned about how to attract wasps to your yard. Is it the importing from China part that is upsetting? I don't know if Chinese wasps are inherently "worse" than American wasps though, but I'd like to think the people in charge of this effort would be better versed in this than Kevin from the Internet.
First of all, China has some scary-ass insects, so there's that. But introducing non-native species has been a disaster and had unintended consequences way too often for me to be comfortable with this.
I was just in CO and was surprised at how many dead trees there were in Rockie Mountain National Park. It looked like 1 lightening strike from a massive forest fire.
Hold up. Why didn't you stop to see me?!
Those are a different beetle than what is being talked about here.
I'm dying at this because I read it as "a bitch in Tokyo" being a new type of reference.
Lol, me too!
Kevin!!! You all know I love summer but this heifer waited until I was JUST about to leave for a trip to Japan and posted this story about these fucking hornets. Her defense is " I saved your life"
It's like Jurassic World only with insects. No, this couldn't possibly end badly.
I was watching the end of The Lost World a couple days ago. I was so baffled by the absurdity. (1) Why did you bring a goddamn TRex to the City? (2) There is a TRex, that ate the ships crew, running free in the city. Why are people just strolling around like it's another Saturday night?
I was just in CO and was surprised at how many dead trees there were in Rockie Mountain National Park. It looked like 1 lightening strike from a massive forest fire.
The pine beetle infestation completely changed the character of our high alpine forests. 20 years ago it was all thick, tall pines. For a good five or six years it was ghastly and depressing. They finally cleared out a lot of dead trees and the aspens filled in the gaps. Now that they're more mature, it looks pretty again (especially in the autumn) but not at all how it used to look. Or smell