Bees are using poop to defend themselves against ‘murder hornets’

[Mike Wehner]

• New research reveals that honeybees have come up with their own defense against being wiped out by the invasive Asian Giant Hornets.
• Honeybees have been observed using poop in a defensive way to ward off the hornets, even harvesting poop from animal sources to make their hives seem less appealing to the invaders.
• The bees pile the poop on their hives and even sometimes hunt for human urine to spread on their homes, which the hornets dislike.

Ever since it was confirmed by wildlife officials and scientists that the Asian Giant Hornets — known as "Murder Hornets" because they're, well, pretty dangerous — were present in the United States, there's been a great concern for the fate of native honeybees. Honeybees are a prime target for the hornets, which invade hives and kill off the bees swiftly.

Now, beekeepers and scientists have discovered that some honeybees appear to have developed their own natural defense against the pesky invaders, at least in Vietnam. Incredibly, it seems that some bees in danger of being wiped out are using poop and other nastiness in order to ward off the hornets and keep their homes and each other safe from attack.

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Bees are using poop to defend themselves against ‘murder hornets’ originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 10 Dec 2020 at 23:30:54 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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