Latest news with #Sinia
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Science
- Hamilton Spectator
Murder hornets can decapitate 40 bees in 1 minute. Are they in Ontario?
While Ontario has never had a confirmed sighting of a 'murder hornet,' experts say it's possible they could find their way here. Murder hornets, officially known as the northern giant hornet and previously Asian giant hornets, are one of the largest hornet species in the world. Hornets are a subset of wasps. Murder hornets are known to 'aggressively attack humans or animals' if they get too close to a nest or a honey bee colony being attacked, according to the province of Ontario. Orkin entomologist Alice Sinia said murder hornets kill bees by cutting off their heads. 'They can actually decapitate 40 bees in one minute,' she said. 'They can really easily wipe out hives, big colonies in a matter of hours.' In addition, Sinia notes their venom is very toxic — three to four times more potent than a regular wasp — which means murder hornets can pose serious, even life-threatening, health risks. Murder hornet queens can grow to be five centimetres in size, with a wingspan of 7.5 centimetres, according to the Invasive Species Centre — an organization working to prevent the introduction and spread of high-risk invasive species in Canada. The giant hornet gorges itself on other insects and can kill a human. ➡ Subscribe: #NatGeoWILD #Wasps #BiteStingKill About Bite, Sting, Kill: Bite, Sting, Kill is exploring the ways animals can kill with venom. About National Geographic Wild: National Geographic Wild is a place for all things animals and for animal-lovers alike. Take a journey through the animal kingdom with us and discover things you never knew before, or rediscover your favorite animals! Get More National Geographic Wild: Official Site: Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: The World's Biggest Wasp | Bite, Sting, Kill Nat Geo Wild Typically, Sinia said people confuse murder hornets with one of the largest hornets in Ontario: the European hornet. 'They look almost the same,' she said. Though, unlike murder hornets, European hornets have different colouring, aren't as aggressive and don't interact with humans as much. 'People don't see them (European hornets) that commonly,' said Sinia. 'But once they see it, then people become alarmed because they are kind of big and then they think, 'Oh, this must be the murder hornet.'' European hornets are about 2.5-3.5 centimetres — but are still much smaller than murder hornets. The misidentification has led to false sightings of murder hornets in Ontario. The Asian Giant Hornet is often confused for the European Hornet, which leads to many false sightings. Here is a side-by-side comparison. The only area in Canada where the murder hornets have positively been identified has been in B.C. In September 2019, the northern giant hornet was first discovered in Canada in the Nanaimo, B.C. region. 'Researchers aren't sure how the hornets got into Canada, but it's possible they arrived from Asia through packaging material or hiding under imported gardening pots,' the Invasive Species Centre says. That same year, the B.C. government, Canadian Food Inspection Agency and local beekeepers destroyed the nest on the west coast. In May 2020, northern giant hornets were found in Langley, B.C. — approximately 100 kilometres away from where they were found in Nanaimo. In that case, local beekeepers and the CFIA were able to eradicate the nest. Authorities continue to monitor for new sightings. However, the Invasive Species Centre cautions it can be challenging to find them early because they live underground in tunnels or spaces under rocks and homes. Although murder hornets have been spotted in Canada, Sinia said it doesn't mean they've established themselves here or made their way to other provinces and territories yet. 'We have to be on the lookout for this wasp because if it made its way in B.C., it's possible that it can be easily brought into Ontario or maybe another province,' she said. Once a species finds itself in a new place, the question becomes: can it establish itself? If given the chance, Sinia said it's possible murder hornets could establish in Canada as the climate of the countries where they originate are similar enough to Canada's. 'Never say never,' she said. The Invasive Species Centre agrees with that assessment. 'While these hornets have only been found (and eradicated) on the west coast of Canada to date, climate models show that southern Canada is well-suited to host them should they get past the Rocky Mountains or be accidentally introduced,' the organization says on their website . At this time, it's unknown if murder hornets can survive an Ontario winter. The province of Ontario explains the murder hornets are native to temperate and tropical regions in China, Korea, Japan and northern India. 'Northern giant hornets are predatory as they hunt insects for food, including honey bees,' the province says . 'These hornets pose a serious threat to Ontario's agriculture and native biodiversity, including resident bees and wasps. They can also destroy honey bee colonies in less than 24 hours.' Sinia said people should be vigilant and report suspected sightings — and, if found, should be eradicated right away. Murder hornets can be confused with other types of hornets such as the European hornet, the bald-faced hornet, the yellowjacket and the Eastern Cicada Killer and more. Because wasps are most active during the summer months, it's likely if a murder hornet is going to be spotted — it will likely be around this time of year. Sinia said the first giveaway for a murder hornet is the size. The murder hornet is much bigger than the European hornet. European hornets tend to have yellow colouring with black dot markings and stripes, while murder hornets will be orange. The body is solid black and has orange stripes on it. Insects that resemble Asian giant hornets (centre). The European hornet is at the top right. The province of Ontario says northern giant hornets can't be verified without a specimen or a photograph. Identification must be confirmed by a specialist such as an entomologist or taxonomist. If you think you've seen one in Ontario, report it using an online reporting form . You'll need a clear image of the suspected hornet. Ensure the image is in colour and in focus. Photograph the back and side of the insect. For technical issues, contact the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 . The Invasive Species Centre outlines where you can report invasive species across Canada . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
15-07-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Unusual' bee attack in France injures 24. Could it happen in Ontario? Here's what can trigger swarms
A recent bee attack in a French town injured some 24 people — three of whom were rushed to hospital in critical condition. The 'unusual attack' came on suddenly near a rooftop apiary in the central-southern French town of Aurillac, as hundreds of bees swarmed a group of passersby on Sunday, July 6, according to a BBC article . A 78-year-old woman was reportedly stung more than two dozen times and had to be resuscitated after a cardiorespiratory arrest. According to French publication Ici , Asian hornets were found in the apiary — a known natural predator of bees. Preliminary evidence suggests, it was the hornets' invasion that led to the attack. Several Asian hornet species are serious predators of honey bees — the type of bees managed by beekeepers in Canada, the province of Ontario says. Alice Sinia, an entomologist with Orkin Canada, explains there are many factors that influence a beehive's behaviour to swarm and attack people, pets or other animals. Killer bees, also known as Africanized bees, are genetically adapted to be more defensive than the European honey bee, known as the common honey bee. 'Killer bees are more likely to swarm and attack — even with no to less provocation,' she said. Hot and humid conditions such as what we are experiencing now in Ontario make bees irritable and aggressive and they can easily attack, Sinia said. A perceived threat or hive disturbances (such as an invasion from Asian hornets) can be risk factors for bee attacks. Sinia said hives located near or in public places — along paths, in playgrounds, in parks — can receive constant disturbance and make bees feel threatened. 'Vibrations when people walk by or vehicles drive by, loud noise, excessive scents (perfumes) — all these can irritate bees and cause them to swarm and attack,' she said. Large hives can also pose a problem. When the colony is too large, maintaining the microclimate within the hives is more difficult. It makes it harder to regulate hive temperature causing the colony to break up. 'They swarm and during the process they can be aggressive as they locate a new hive and reestablish,' Sinia said. A weakened or dying queen in the hive makes the bees restless and aggressive because the queen controls and manages the hive through her hormones. Any beehive experiencing these stressors at any given location can attack, she added. Africanized honeybees tends to be more defensive. Their genetics have evolved that way, so they are more likely to swarm in large numbers, attack and chase trespassers for longer distances. Sinia said killer bees have been reported in some parts of Ontario, but are not widespread or established. 'The chances of being attacked by killer bees in Ontario is almost none,' she said. Sinia said while large bee attacks in Ontario have not been reported, they can happen. If an attack did happen in Ontario, Sinia said it would most likely stem from wild bees rather than from domesticated hives. Sinia said the only major bee swarm incident in Ontario was in August 2023 — when a truck trailer carrying millions of bees overturned in Burlington causing the bees to swarm neighbouring areas. 'That was human caused, not natural,' she emphasized. Wild bee hives are often hidden. They can be near a path, walkways, trails, in trees, in parks, near fence lines, wooded areas and human-made structures. 'Their behaviour is adapted for survival in the wild,' said Sinia. 'Therefore, they are more aggressive, less withstanding of disturbances than domesticated honey bee, so will attack readily.' While their hives are smaller, they swarm more frequently, which increases the likelihood of a human encounter. Bee stings can be fatal in some people because they can cause severe allergic reactions — anaphylaxis — which can result in death, if not treated immediately. 'The stings are painful, large volume of stings from swarm of bees can cause severe localized pain and swelling which can result in infections,' said Sinia. 'A large volume of stings can overwhelm the body causing organ failure, resulting in death.' You should always carry an EpiPen if you are allergic to bee stings. Sinia said generally bees aren't aggressive. 'They will not attack people or other animals without a cause — unless provoked or threatened,' she said. 'They are beneficial not just for honey production but pollination and balance of the natural ecosystem.' Never disturb beehives and report a feral hive you see one to local authorities. Be aware of the environment if walking in vegetated areas. Bee stings are barbed. When they sting, the stinger detaches from the bee leaving the venom sac trapped or hooked into the skin. The stinger can continue to release venom into the body for up to 20 minutes or so. Don't puncture the sac as you remove the stinger. Just use your fingertips or the tips of your nails to gently lift it out of the skin. It's important to remove the bee's stinger right away if you get stung. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
More bad news for rat-infested cities: Climate change is making it worse
More rats: that's the latest indignity that climate change is dumping on major cities around the world, including in Canada's largest city, according to a new study from a group of global rodent and public health scientists. Growing rat populations are correlated with rising temperatures driven by global warming in at least 11 major cities across the world, according to the study. The cities seeing rat increases include Toronto, famously rat-prone New York City, and many other major centres like Washington, San Francisco and Amsterdam. The study's authors say it's a wake-up call for cities to move away from a whack-a-mole approach to dealing with rodent complaints. "I think every large city should have a dedicated team that focuses on nothing but rodents and the issues with rodents," said Jonathan Richardson, lead author of the study and an urban ecologist at the University of Richmond in Virginia. A rat in downtown Toronto. The city is working on a rat strategy. (Bruce Reeve/CBC) The study used data on public complaints and inspections about rats from 16 cities around the world. The 11 cities that saw significant increases in rats also experienced greater temperature increases over time, though that correlation doesn't prove the temperature caused the increase. Cities with more dense human populations and more urbanization also saw larger increases in rats. The research comes at a time when rats have become a big issue in Toronto, which is seeing a large increase in rodent-related complaints after a brief decline during the COVID-19 pandemic. City officials are currently working on a new strategy to proactively deal with the rats. "Even when you leave city hall or walk around city hall, you can see the burrows in the tree wells. I've walked along one of the streets and a giant rat ran past me in the middle of the day," said Alejandra Bravo, a Toronto city councillor who proposed the successful motion to build a rat strategy. "I think people need to see action." Why are rats thriving? Rats are resilient and remarkably adaptable to different environments, says Alice Sinia, entomologist with pest control company Orkin Canada. It makes biological sense that warmer temperatures would be helping them out, for three big reasons. The harsh winter acts as a sort of "nature's pest control," with the cold killing rats every year. Climate change has led to milder winters in Toronto, allowing greater numbers of rats to make it through the season. Urban ecologist Jonathan Richardson, right, has co-authored a study linking climate change to a growth in rat populations in several major cities, including Toronto. (Jamie Betts) Meanwhile, the warmer seasons have become longer, and that's when the rats breed and reproduce. Sinia says that could further boost their numbers. And finally, climate disasters themselves could be bringing rats closer to people and buildings. Sinia used the example of the floods in Toronto in July last year, caused by a line of storms that dumped rain on the city in rapid succession in a matter of hours. Studies suggest that Canada will see more extreme rain, with warmer air able to hold more moisture that it will dump in short, severe storms. The flash floods last year caused nearly a billion dollars in insured damages, flooding basements, highways and transit stations across the city. But apart from the damage, floods also overwhelm the city's sewer system — which are teaming with rats that get displaced. Alejandra Bravo, a Toronto city councillor who represents the ward of Davenport, has pushed the city to develop a rat strategy to respond to rising rodent complaints and sightings. (Michael Wilson/CBC) "Now instead of the underground sewers, they [the rats] will come to the surface and when that happens … they're going to start occupying other areas," Sinia said. "They're going into people's homes, structures… and they're going to have an opportunity to reproduce very fast." But none of this means people will just have to resign themselves to a rat-filled future, the experts said. Keeping up the fight Richardson, the study author, said that they key was a proactive rat strategy that addressed the root causes of infestations. That's similar to what the Toronto council is working on, according to Bravo. City staff will look at food disposal, managing construction sites, new approaches like birth control and other ways to manage the rat population on a larger scale. Ultimately, Richardson says, cities need to put more money and resources into fighting rats, because simply tolerating them is not a good option. A person holds up a rat that had been caught in Washington, D.C, one of several cities along with Toronto, New York and Amsterdam that showed a correlation between rising rat numbers and rising average temperatures. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP) "They carry at least 50 known zoonotic pathogens and parasites that can make residents sick in cities," he said. A zoonotic infection or disease is one that can transmit between animals and humans. "They also have mental health impacts for residents where if you're living alongside rats regularly and see them in your daily life, you tend to have worse mental health outcomes and feel less secure in your environment. "If we can reassess how much tolerance we have for rats in our everyday daily life as we're walking around, maybe that applies some pressure to the city governments and advocates for more resources to knock these populations back."
CBC
31-01-2025
- Science
- CBC
More bad news for rat-infested cities: Climate change is making it worse
Social Sharing More rats: that's the latest indignity that climate change is dumping on major cities around the world, including in Canada's largest city, according to a new study from a group of global rodent and public health scientists. Growing rat populations are correlated with rising temperatures driven by global warming in at least 11 major cities across the world, according to the study. The cities seeing rat increases include Toronto, famously rat-prone New York City, and many other major centres like Washington, San Francisco and Amsterdam. The study's authors say it's a wake-up call for cities to move away from a whack-a-mole approach to dealing with rodent complaints. "I think every large city should have a dedicated team that focuses on nothing but rodents and the issues with rodents," said Jonathan Richardson, lead author of the study and an urban ecologist at the University of Richmond in Virginia. The study used data on public complaints and inspections about rats from 16 cities around the world. The 11 cities that saw significant increases in rats also experienced greater temperature increases over time, though that correlation doesn't prove the temperature caused the increase. Cities with more dense human populations and more urbanization also saw larger increases in rats. The research comes at a time when rats have become a big issue in Toronto, which is seeing a large increase in rodent-related complaints after a brief decline during the COVID-19 pandemic. City officials are currently working on a new strategy to proactively deal with the rats. "Even when you leave city hall or walk around city hall, you can see the burrows in the tree wells. I've walked along one of the streets and a giant rat ran past me in the middle of the day," said Alejandra Bravo, a Toronto city councillor who proposed the successful motion to build a rat strategy. "I think people need to see action." Toronto councillors push for rat reduction strategy Why are rats thriving? Rats are resilient and remarkably adaptable to different environments, says Alice Sinia, entomologist with pest control company Orkin Canada. It makes biological sense that warmer temperatures would be helping them out, for three big reasons. The harsh winter acts as a sort of "nature's pest control," with the cold killing rats every year. Climate change has led to milder winters in Toronto, allowing greater numbers of rats to make it through the season. Meanwhile, the warmer seasons have become longer, and that's when the rats breed and reproduce. Sinia says that could further boost their numbers. And finally, climate disasters themselves could be bringing rats closer to people and buildings. Sinia used the example of the floods in Toronto in July last year, caused by a line of storms that dumped rain on the city in rapid succession in a matter of hours. Studies suggest that Canada will see more extreme rain, with warmer air able to hold more moisture that it will dump in short, severe storms. The flash floods last year caused nearly a billion dollars in insured damages, flooding basements, highways and transit stations across the city. But apart from the damage, floods also overwhelm the city's sewer system — which are teaming with rats that get displaced. "Now instead of the underground sewers, they [the rats] will come to the surface and when that happens … they're going to start occupying other areas," Sinia said. "They're going into people's homes, structures… and they're going to have an opportunity to reproduce very fast." But none of this means people will just have to resign themselves to a rat-filled future, the experts said. Keeping up the fight Richardson, the study author, said that they key was a proactive rat strategy that addressed the root causes of infestations. That's similar to what the Toronto council is working on, according to Bravo. City staff will look at food disposal, managing construction sites, new approaches like birth control and other ways to manage the rat population on a larger scale. Ultimately, Richardson says, cities need to put more money and resources into fighting rats, because simply tolerating them is not a good option. "They carry at least 50 known zoonotic pathogens and parasites that can make residents sick in cities," he said. A zoonotic infection or disease is one that can transmit between animals and humans. "They also have mental health impacts for residents where if you're living alongside rats regularly and see them in your daily life, you tend to have worse mental health outcomes and feel less secure in your environment. "If we can reassess how much tolerance we have for rats in our everyday daily life as we're walking around, maybe that applies some pressure to the city governments and advocates for more resources to knock these populations back."
The Guardian
31-01-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
‘Perfect rat storm': urban rodent numbers soar as the climate heats, study finds
Rat numbers are soaring in cities as global temperatures warm, research shows. Washington DC, San Francisco, Toronto, New York City and Amsterdam had the greatest increase in these rodents, according to the study, which looked at data from 16 cities globally. Eleven of the cities showed 'significant increasing trends in rat numbers', said the paper published in the journal Science Advances, and these trends were likely to continue. Over the past decade, rats increased by 390% in Washington DC, 300% in San Francisco, 186% in Toronto and 162% in New York according to researchers, who analysed public sightings and infestation reports. Some big cities, such as London and Paris, were not included because they did not provide the necessary data – but researchers said the findings would apply to many similar cities around the world. 'There'd be no reason to expect it to be different in other places,' said lead researcher Jonathan Richardson, from the University of Richmond in Virginia. In Toronto, one of the worst-affected locations, a 'perfect rat storm' has taken hold, with residents of Canada's biggest city staring down a surging population. 'When you walk the streets of Toronto, under your feet, deep in the sewage system, is a place teeming with rats,' said Alice Sinia, lead entomologist for Orkin, the country's largest pest control company. 'Increasingly we're flushing them out into open spaces – either through construction or floods – and they have to go somewhere.' Toronto city's helpline fielded 1,600 rat-related calls in 2023, up from 940 in 2019 and Orkin has also experienced a surge in calls. 'But the reality is, we don't know how big the population is because no one has ever really studied it formally,' said Sinia. Two Toronto city councillors, Alejandra Bravo and Amber Morley, last year called for a formal management plan as a way to blunt the crisis. 'It's a really critical quality-of-life problem when people have all of a sudden been confronted with rats coming into their home or into their business or their place of work,' Bravo told the Canadian press, adding that it had morphed into a 'kind of perfect rat storm'. Other cities with increasing rat populations included Oakland, Buffalo, Chicago, Boston, Kansas City and Cincinnati. The research focused on US cities, as well as Amsterdam, Toronto and Tokyo, as all of them gathered similar data on rat sightings. The research did not quantify the overall rat population, just relative increases in reports over time. Rising temperatures correlated with rising rat numbers, researchers wrote in the paper. As small mammals, rats struggle during winter, but in higher temperatures they can breed for more of the year and forage for longer. In Toronto, cold winters had long acted as 'mother nature's pest control', said Sinia, killing off swaths of the population. But mild temperatures had helped rodents of all kinds in the city to keep breeding. The fact that rat numbers increased fastest in cities that were warming fastest was 'the gloomiest outcome of the study', said Richardson. Last year was the hottest on record, with average temperatures 1.6C above preindustrial levels. Rats cause billions of dollars in damage by infiltrating buildings each year, and can transmit at least 60 diseases to humans, as well as affecting the ecology of other species living in cities. In regions where they are an invasive species, they do huge damage to biodiversity. Research suggests people who encounter rats frequently have poorer mental health. Globally, humanity's 'war on rats' costs an estimated $500m each year, according to the study. Tokyo, Louisville and New Orleans bucked the trend with declining rat numbers. In Tokyo, Richardson speculated that cultural norms and expectations of cleanliness meant people were quick to report rodent sightings. In New Orleans there has been educational outreach on how to prevent infestations. 'There are important lessons probably to be gleaned from those cities,' said Richardson. Researchers say the best pest management strategies involve making the urban environment less rat-friendly – for example by putting rubbish in containers, and not in bags on the street – rather than removing rodents that are already there. Despite thousands of studies on lab rats, little was known about wild urban rats, said Richardson. 'We need to know the battle that we're fighting. Pretty much every city announces that they have a war on rats.' Sometimes there can be up to 100 rats in a single colony, which usually occupies less than one block. 'I do not like rats,' he said, 'but there is something fascinating about an organism that has been able to spread over the world and live in such proximity to us so successfully.'
