Hikers should be on their guard and take precautions against attacks by hornets, as late summer to autumn is the breeding season when the insects are most active, local authorities said after two people last week died from hornet stings.
The Pingtung County Government last week said that for the past three months, it had received 1,472 reports of “hornet nest” sightings, and experts had removed 1,311 of the nests — or an average of 15.8 nests per day.
The county added that 86 percent of the sightings were hornet nests, and the rest were wild bee nests.
Photo courtesy of Yushan National Park Administration Office
Data from the county’s Department of Agriculture showed that it recorded 429 nest sightings in July, of which 424 were removed; 695 sightings last month, of which 541 were removed; and from Sept. 1 to Thursday last week, 348 sightings, with 346 removed.
In Taitung County, the local government said it had received about 30 reports of nest sightings per week in July and last month, but the figure has soared to about 100 per week this month.
People are advised to take precautions when hiking in trails, following a fatal incident in New Taipei City’s Rueifang District (瑞芳) on Wednesday last week, when a group of hikers were attacked by hornets, resulting in two deaths and at least nine others injured.
Based on specimens gathered at the site, experts identified the culprits as Asian hornets, also known as yellow-legged hornets or Asian predatory wasps, which are indigenous to Taiwan and Southeast Asia.
Less than a week after that deadly incident, four people were yesterday sent to a hospital for treatment after being stung by hornets in the same area.
The Keelung Fire Department said it received a call at 10:46am that five people had been attacked by hornets while hiking in Rueifang.
One of the hikers sustained only minor injuries and returned home, while the other four were taken to Keelung Hospital, it said.
One of the injured went into anaphylactic shock, but was stabilized after receiving medication, the hospital said.
Experts said that Asian hornets breed from August through the autumn months, when they are most active. In Taiwan, they can be found from the low plains up to 1,500m-high mountains, living in woodlands and forests, and building their nests on tree branches or burrows on the ground.
The Pingtung County Government has released a public warning and advice to prevent and deal with hornet attacks.
First, wear light-colored clothes and hats, and do not put on perfume, cologne or a scented spray, as hornets are attracted to fruity aromas, such as the odor of tree sap or decomposing fruit.
Second, stick to open walking trails and avoid getting into areas with dense vegetation.
Third, quickly cover the head with a hat, jacket, clothing, or arms, lower the body and walk in the opposite direction when you see a hornet or hornet nest. Do not wave your arms or clothing as this would help hornets zero in on their target.
MILITARY AID: Taiwan has received a first batch of US long-range tactical missiles ahead of schedule, with a second shipment expected to be delivered by 2026 The US’ early delivery of long-range tactical ballistic missiles to Taiwan last month carries political and strategic significance, a military source said yesterday. According to the Ministry of National Defense’s budget report, the batch of military hardware from the US, including 11 sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 64 MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, had been scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan between the end of this year and the beginning of next year. However, the first batch arrived last month, earlier than scheduled, with the second batch —18 sets of HIMARS, 20 MGM-140 missiles and 864 M30
Residents have called on the Taipei City Government to reconsider its plan to demolish a four-decades-old pedestrian overpass near Daan Forest Park. The 42-year-old concrete and steel structure that serves as an elevated walkway over the intersection of Heping and Xinsheng roads is to be closed on Tuesday in preparation for demolition slated for completion by the end of the month. However, in recent days some local residents have been protesting the planned destruction of the intersection overpass that is rendered more poetically as “sky bridge” in Chinese. “This bridge carries the community’s collective memory,” said a man surnamed Chuang
Representative to the US Alexander Yui delivered a letter from the government to US president-elect Donald Trump during a meeting with a former Trump administration official, CNN reported yesterday. Yui on Thursday met with former US national security adviser Robert O’Brien over a private lunch in Salt Lake City, Utah, with US Representative Chris Stewart, the Web site of the US cable news channel reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “During that lunch the letter was passed along, and then shared with Trump, two of the sources said,” CNN said. O’Brien declined to comment on the lunch, as did the Taipei
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used