Post #15130

Hornets: Pure evil for humans, but without them the bees will kill themselves. Why are they so useful? We love bees for their honey production. We adore bumblebees for their gentle nature. We tolerate wasps, but we respect them because they are capable of giving a person back or stealing a piece of ham from the table. But hornets are some kind of monsters that deserve to be hated. After all, these are completely repelled insects that destroy bees by the millions, and can send people to the hospital with just a few bites! Who in their right mind would love hornets? The answer is me! After all, hornets are not just stereotypical villains, but something much more important. First of all, they are beautiful. Bees and bumblebees, of course, also have their own charm - they are cute and slightly awkward furry creatures that are not graceful and do not create a sense of danger. But hornets are an example of that same “predatory” beauty that is inherent in snakes and sharks. They look graceful, but not fragile, powerful, but not heavy. Their chitinous armor is perfectly tailored, and their long, narrow wings are designed for effective raids and quick retreats. In addition, this black and yellow fighter is not only beautiful, it also has excellent weapons. Its mandibles are powerful and tireless, they are capable of biting 40 bees per minute, and the length of the poisonous sting reaches 6 millimeters - it can penetrate the armor of even the strongest beetle! Strength, grace and chic design all come together to create the hornet! But all this, of course, is subjective. However, hornets also bring objective benefits to the ecosystem: they act as forest nurses. The thing is that this flying death, although capable of destroying hundreds of bees, is in no hurry to attack large and healthy hives - it is too dangerous. Therefore, they prefer to raid weakened and sick families, which begin to suffocate under the load of diseases and parasites. And, thus, they prevent local outbreaks from turning into epidemics. In addition, bees do not take up much space in their diet. Caterpillars, leaf beetles, butterflies and even aphids are the main prey of hornets. And by controlling their numbers, striped predators maintain a fragile natural balance. But the most unexpected evidence of the benefits of hornets for the ecosystem is the fact that they create new living space! The paper hives of these insects are true works of architectural art that can exist for years even after their owners have abandoned them. Therefore, over time, it is populated by other insects that are looking for a safe place. What can I say, even some birds choose hornet nests as their nesting place. If there were no hornets, these species would not exist. That's what they are, these contradictory hornets. Dangerous for bees, scary for people, beneficial for the ecosystem and beautiful in the eyes of one author of the Book of Animals. And I think this variety of roles makes the