In a dramatic effort to destroy 100 wasp nests, a drone has been turned into a flying flamethrower in Central China.
Blue Sky Rescue, China's largest non-governmental humanitarian organization and a volunteer group, has teamed up with villagers in Zhong County, near Chongqing City.
To purchase the drone and equip it with a fuel tank and an arm-length nozzle, the group raised 80,000 yuan (more than $12,000).
According to South China Morning Post, Blue Sky's released video shows rescue workers training the six-arm drone before it spirals up to the tree hive.
Before the operator flips the ignition switch and the nozzle spits bursts of fire into the hive, the video shows the drone parallel to the nest wasps, which is a suitcase's size.
"The burning ashes of the wasp's nest gradually peeled off and fell, and the surrounding residents applauded and praised the rescue team," said an article on a local news app run by state-owned Chongqing TV.
The article quotes a resident thanking Blue Sky for helping the village: "Now we don't have to worry about being stung by a wasp."
So far, Blue Sky has said it has killed 11 hives, and there are over 100 to go.
Problem with wasps in China
According to China Daily, wasp stings took 19 lives in Ankang, Shaanxi province in 2013.
Doctor Guo Dongyang of the Chengdu Military General Hospital's Nephrology Department explained how the death rate for wasp stings is relatively high because people cannot seek care in remote areas.
He clarified how individuals may experience renal failure, liver failure, and heart injury and may die within one or two hours' if care is not promptly administered.
"People being severely stung by wasps may suffer renal failure, liver failure, and cardiac injury and may die within one or two hours without timely treatment," Dr. Dongyang.
How dangerous are wasp stings?
The British Pest Controllers Association, per Washington Post, says 30 or 40 stings can be enough to kill a human,
In the warmer months, wasps are normally active and die when it gets cold. But the queen hibernates through the winter, usually in a tree's bark or elsewhere safe from frost.
After the summer, a colony will leave its nest and will not return to it the next year when the queen begins constructing a new one.
As they are carnivorous, ecologists discourage wasp eradication. That means they consume creatures that gardeners and farmers consider pests and even serve as excellent plant pollinators.
Natalie Bungay, the British Pest Control Association technical officer (BPCA), told BBC News that these wasps sting when they feel unsafe.
Attacked by a swarm of wasps? Here's what to do.
NHS recommends not to wave your arms about or swat at wasps, but to stay calm and walk away slowly, even though it might be easier said than done.
And in case you had any other clever ideas to give them the slip, someone who wants to play dead" would not fool wasps, said Debugged, the blog of pest control giant Rentokil.
According to NHS advice, if you are stung, you can remove any stings left on the skin and rinse the area with soap and water.
Doctors suggest that ice or cold flannel be applied to the site for 10 minutes and that the region be elevated to avoid swelling.
You can also take remedies such as antihistamines and painkillers that are over-the-counter.
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