- What is the Asian Hornet?
- How to recognize an Asian hornet sting?
- What are the symptoms ?
- What are the risks of a sting?
- What to do to treat and get rid of it?
- Is the Asian hornet sting fatal?
- How to protect yourself and avoid getting bitten?
What is the Asian Hornet?
The Asian hornet is different from the European hornet by its size and the color of its legs. It measures between 3 and 4 cm and the end of its legs are yellow, hence its nickname of yellow-legged hornet. Other differences with the European hornet: it does not fly at night and its buzzing is much less noisy. The abdomen of the European hornet is recognizable by its colors, yellow lined with black stripes and mottled with russet.
How to recognize an Asian hornet sting?
The sting of the Asian hornet is identical to that of a wasp in more painful. Its stinger is indeed longer, the venom is injected deeper. In addition, it contains substances such as enzymes, peptides, amines and amino acids that cause more or less significant reactions depending on the subject. The skin swells, reddens and itches.
What are the symptoms ?
The first symptoms are hives-like redness followed by swelling. The pain is hard to bear. Monitor symptoms regularly and consult a doctor in case of aggravation, for example a swelling around the bite of the Asian hornet more than 10 cm in circumference. In case of severe allergy, the subject may experience nausea or vomiting and headaches as well as a drop in blood pressure. These are signs of medical emergencies.
What are the risks of a sting?
The venom can cause dangerous allergic reactions such as angioedema or anaphylactic shock. In addition, it is advisable to report the bite to your doctor in case of strong reaction. Between 5 and 10% of these people are indeed at risk of a more serious allergy during an upcoming Asian hornet sting.
What to do to treat and get rid of it?
The first reaction is remove her braces due to upcoming swelling. To destroy the venom, bring the stung area closer to a heat source. Then it will be disinfected with soap and water. If the bite is on the throat, in the mouth or in the eyes, you must call the SAMU.
To keep the hornets away, several solutions exist:
- burn incense or ground coffee, hornets hate smoke;
- spray a mixture of lemon, white vinegar and water or a mixture of baking soda with 4 tablespoons of olive oil or water and Marseille soap;
- prepare a trap using a bottle pierced with holes the size of an Asian hornet and place a bait at the bottom to attract them (honey, jam, syrup, ripe fruit, etc.).
Is the Asian hornet sting fatal?
There asian hornet sting is not fatal ; cases of anaphylactic shock are fortunately rare.
How to protect yourself and avoid getting bitten?
The female Asian hornet stings when she feels threatened. It is therefore advisable to respect a distance of several meters from its nest. The noise also panics him.
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