By Jackie Taylor | August 5, 2020

Holy cow! Following the pandemic from a virus that is alleged to have started in Wuhan, China, now comes the Asian giant hornet, this to Washington State where it will hopefully stay.

The “murder hornets,” as they are affectionately known, are usually 1.5-2 inches in length, have a large orange or yellow head with prominent eyes and black- and yellow-striped abdomen, and form large colonies that usually nest in the ground.

The hornet has already killed 50 people in Japan, and a sting reportedly feels like a red-hot thumb tack being driven into your flesh.

Hmm, I already stock up on heavy-duty wasp spray that can projectile spew lethal foam on wasps from a safe distance away; now, if the Washington State Department of Agriculture doesn’t stop the murder hornets from spreading, we may need insecticide-laden shoes to protect us from their ground nests.

Worse yet, our poor honey bees are a favorite snack for the hornets that decapitate their victim. But, apparently the honey bees aren’t totally defenseless opting for group rubs to “cook” the hornet to death.

Every time I hear something like the group rub, I realize how incredible Mother Nature is and how adaptable she is. 

It seems that no one knows how the murder hornet got here, but it’s here and not wanted very badly.

Another Asian strain brought into the United States, in the 1970s, is the Asian carp – brought here to eat algae that were taking over some water systems. Apparently some of the fish escaped their compounds and are now living and breeding in the Mississippi River, Great Lakes and water systems of the East.

The problem with the Asian carp is that they are competing for food sources with fish species that are used in commercial operations.

Watch YouTube for videos concerning silver carp. I enjoy water skiing – but not when I have to wear a helmet and vest to protect myself from startled fish jumping out of the water. Silver carp jump when scared, and boaters have been hurt from flying fish.

Asian giant hornets and carp make a person wonder what other lovelies exist in Asia, besides COVID-19, that could make life miserable in the United States in 2021. 

What does all of this have to do with anything? Nothing.

I’m simply sick to death of politics, television ads touting this person while saying the other is a dirtbag, and more. 

As this column comes out on Wednesday, and the primary will have been held on Tuesday, all of us at the Linn County News congratulate the primary winners. 

With that, we know another 90 days of ads, insults and more will be even more feverish until Nov. 3 – a battle between the winners of the primary from both parties – but this too shall pass. 

Meanwhile, I’ll stock up on wasp spray, dust off my ball helmet, keep my mask close, and hope another whopper from Asia doesn’t hit us.