The New Taipei City Government’s Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office has set up a hornet hotspot warning system after 2,916 cases of hornet nest removals and 44 hornet sting incidents were reported this year.
A man briefly lost consciousness after being stung by a hornet at New Taipei City’s Sandiaoling Trail (三貂嶺步道) on Saturday last week. He recovered following medical treatment.
The office yesterday said it has been collaborating with National Taiwan University’s Department of Entomology on mapping out hornet hotspots across the city from 2023.
Photo courtesy of the office
A Line Bot warning system integrated with the hornet hotspot map has been developed this year, it said.
People can scan a QR code to add the Line Bot to their Line friend list and turn on the “tracking hornet hotspots” function in the chatroom to see whether they are near a hornet hotspot in the city, the office said.
They can also use the “reporting hornet activities” function to promptly inform authorities of such locations with text messages and photos, it said.
Office director Yang Shu-fang (楊淑方) said the system offers graded warnings.
The area within 1m of a sting incident is defined as high-alert zone, while areas within 500m and 1km are moderate-alert and low-alert zones respectively, she said.
Warning messages would be sent more frequently with increased warning levels, Yang said, adding that people can turn on their phone ringer to hear the warning sounds.
Hornet hotspots listed on the map include Rueifang District’s (瑞芳) Sandiaoling (三貂嶺), Keelung Mountain, and Earless Teapot Mountain hiking trails, Sansia District’s (三峽) Wuliaojian (五寮尖) and Yuanshan (鳶山) hiking trails, Shihding District’s (石碇) Huangdidian hiking trail (皇帝殿), Sindian District’s (新店) Yinhedong hiking trail (銀河洞), Yingge District’s (鶯歌) Yingge Rock hiking trail, Tucheng District’s (土城) Chengtian Temple hiking trail (承天禪寺), Jhonghe District’s (中和) Hongludi hiking trail (烘爐地), Pingsi District’s (平溪) Wufenshan hiking trail (五分山), and the Houshanyue hiking trail (猴山岳) situated across the border between Sindian and Shenkeng (深坑) districts.
The office said that most hornet nests are spherical, clay-yellow color and have a wavy surface, and are often found hung below trees or eaves with guard hornets patrolling around the nests.
Hornet nesting season began after Tomb-Sweeping Day and would run into November, it said.
People should suspend outdoor activities when they see a hornet nest or hornet activities and should report the incident for professional assistance by calling the city’s 1999 or 1959 hotlines, the office said.
People should also leave promptly and calmly if they find patrol hornets hovering around them, it said.
The office suggested wearing light-colored, long-sleeved clothing and a hat, as well as using mosquito repellent containing diethyltoluamide during outdoor activities.
People stung by a hornet should immediately leave to avoid a second attack and call 119 for prompt hospitalization, it said.
Meanwhile, the National Health Insurance Administration said a hornet’s sting is likely to cause severe injuries, adding that the black-bellied hornet is the most venomous.
People stung by bees or hornets should use tweezers to slowly pull the sting out of the skin, it said, adding that the sting should not be pulled out directly with hands as it has a venom sac that could be popped.
Clinical symptoms induced by stings can be categorized into non-allergic, allergic and toxic reactions, it said.
While most non-allergic reactions can be relieved within several hours, allergic or toxic reactions, such as edema, cramping, hemolysis, rhabdomyolysis, asthma or low blood pressure could lead to shock and death, it said.
Acute allergic reactions such as upper airway edema or bronchospasm are the most serious, especially for those who have been stung before, it said.
An acute allergic reaction could occur with just one sting and would usually happen within just a few minutes, it said.
People who experience anaphylaxis or toxic reactions should promptly seek medical attention, it said, adding that epinephrine preparations are recommended for those with history of acute allergic reactions.
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