Tourists are frequently stung by hornets while hiking. Experts note that hornets are actually beneficial insects.
“The hornets on the mountain are really aggressive—they chased me and stung me.” Recently, several citizens reported to our reporter that during outdoor hiking trips in autumn, many were stung by hornets, with bites mostly concentrated on the head, hands, and other exposed parts of the body. In addition, some citizens noted an increase in hornet activity in residential areas and urban parks.
Ms. Qiu, a volunteer in a Liwan District neighborhood, recently encountered a distressing incident while organizing an elderly group hike up Baiyun Mountain. According to Ms. Qiu, everyone was in high spirits that day. While she was carrying belongings such as clothing for the seniors and standing behind them to keep watch, she suddenly felt a sharp pain on the top of her head. That’s when she noticed hornets flying nearby and realized she had likely been stung.
“I kept going for a short while after that, but then started feeling nauseous and dizzy.” Seeing this, her colleagues immediately contacted Baiyun Mountain staff, who transported her to a nearby hospital for treatment. After coordinating with Baiyun Mountain management, they agreed to cover all of Ms. Qiu’s medical expenses.
Last weekend, Mr. Chen and his friends were hiking up Huolu Mountain. When they reached the halfway point, Mr. Chen suddenly felt a sting on his shoulder. Turning around quickly, he spotted several large yellow hornets flying nearby and what appeared to be a hornet nest in a nearby bush. He and his friends immediately ran downhill. By the time they reached the base of the mountain, Mr. Chen’s shoulder was already swollen and painful. Although he disinfected the area at a nearby community clinic, it remained sore and itchy for several days.
Recently, while reporting near Maofeng Mountain in Baiyun District, a reporter spoke with villagers who mentioned that with more hikers on the mountain lately, several people had been stung by hornets. “Now we try to avoid areas with trees or thorny bushes on the mountain—hornets are often found there,” one said.
Hornets are not only common on wild mountains—many residents in urban areas and park-goers have also encountered them. Mr. Hu, from a residential community near Panyu Avenue, said that not long ago while hanging clothes on his balcony, he noticed several large hornets flying around the air conditioning vent. After having someone take a look, he discovered a hornet nest about the size of an egg in the process of being built. He promptly called friends to burn it out. “Afterward, the hornets flew around for a while before finally leaving,” he said.
A resident of Phoenix City recently found a hornet nest more than 10 meters high on a magnolia tree near their home. Worried about children being stung, they called in firefighters from a nearby fire station, who spent 45 minutes removing the nest.
Recently, tourists visiting the amusement area near Guangzhou Zoo reported seeing many wild hornets flying around the nearby bushes. One visitor mentioned encountering similar hornets while at Yuexiu Park.
Expert:
Call the fire department if hornets build a nest
Washing the wound with soapy water is not very effective
“Many people assume that hornets become more numerous in autumn, but that’s a misconception,” explained Professor Xu Zaifu from the Entomology Department at South China Agricultural University in an interview with our reporter yesterday. Hornets actually begin building nests as early as May each year, with rapid reproduction occurring in June, July, and August. “There are plenty of hornets in the wild during those months, but because of the hot weather and dense vegetation, people generally have fewer encounters with them.” Xu noted that in autumn, as plants wither and leaves fall, and as it is also the season when fruits ripen, more people go hiking and fruit picking—greatly increasing the chances of unexpected encounters with hornets.
Xu also told us that due to the large amount of discarded garbage, rotting fruit, and small insects in cities, hornets—which are omnivorous insects—are gradually being drawn to urban areas to nest. In such cases, if a hornet nest is located in a remote area, it’s usually fine to just leave it alone. “They prey on caterpillars, so they’re actually beneficial insects.”
He added that hornets build nests primarily to incubate their larvae. Generally, after winter, once the eggs hatch and the larvae grow, the hornets abandon the old nest and won’t return. “If a nest is indeed built under an eave and poses a threat to nearby residents, the best solution is to call professional firefighters for help,” Xu said. Other methods include burning the nest or using insecticide. Wearing a thick raincoat and sealing it in a plastic bag before handling the nest is another option.
Xu pointed out that hornets, yellow jackets, and wasps are all of the same category and can be aggressive toward humans, but wild bees are not, so people don’t need to fear the more intimidating-looking wild bees. “Mosquitoes bite with their mouths, while hornets sting with their tails—but the principle is the same,” Xu said. Many people think hornets leave behind a stinger after stinging, but that’s not the case. “They inject venom the same way.” He added that generally, stings only become serious when multiple hornets attack, the person stung has an allergic reaction, or the victim is a child. “In such cases, it’s best to seek medical attention. The popular idea of washing the sting with soapy water isn’t particularly effective—it’s more of a placebo effect.”