Scientists Have Found A Way To Trap Murder Hornets With A Bizarre ‘Sex Spray’

The Asian giant hornet, which was dubbed the “murder hornet” by the media, is native to East Asia but touched down in the United States and Canada in late 2019. This bug is terrifying with a stinger about a quarter-inch long.

The murder hornet wreaks havoc on honey bee colonies and crop fields, putting the livelihood of insects and people at stake.
The invasive species of hornet are being trapped by researchers with a nifty science trick.

Researchers have studied the sex pheromones of the queen hornet and used them to set up traps that have male hornets flocking.

Scientists found that the male murder hornet is intensely attracted to the scent of the queen’s pheromones, which is primarily made of three different acids.

These acids are commercially available and used in traps that captured male murder hornets.

Related: Murder Hornets Are A Good Source of Protein, Provided They Don't Eat you First...

The male murder hornets are tricked into thinking they might find a breeding opportunity but end up meeting their demise in the bottom of a trap.

Scientists say, by cutting off the queens’ access to males the risk of murder hornets breeding will be greatly reduced and their population will be driven down.

Many thanks to my Chinese collaborators for this research identifying some of the major components of giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) female sex pheromone.
Your article link:https://t.co/RuzPxVdKn9 pic.twitter.com/XqotQdxR79

— James C. Nieh (@jcnieh) March 14, 2022