命無常 - INOCHI MUJO

Bombus ignitus is a species of bumblebee found in East Asia.  I was too late in helping this one escape a predator. A split second in its  grasp was more than it could withstand. 

Our Japanese snowbell tree was the reason it was in our yard. It absolutely exploded in white prettiness this year.  Here's the view of it from our balcony.

And here's a close up with one of the countless little fuzzy flying teddy bears harvesting its tasty pollen.

I spent long moments watching them collect the pollen. Full of non-aggressive cuteness they buzzed all around me as if I wasn't even there. Then my kids told of seeing one getting captured so I walked out there to see for myself and YAAAAAAAA!!! 

Osuzumebachi. The biggest, deadliest hornet on earth. It was already back for another kill. It hovered around the snowbell tree for all of ten seconds then swooped in and plucked one of my fuzzy little bumblebee friends out of mid air and flew off with it. 

I had to do something but man, why Osuzumebachi? Why couldn't it be a bear or something less frightening! Osuzumebachi kill more people in Japan every year than all other insects, reptiles and wild animals combined. I needed to prepare for battle. The photo of the bee above is the result of me standing guard with a net and can of cockroach spray. I needed more firepower.

By the next day I'd extended my reach by taping a long, thin gardening pole onto the bug net handle and bought a can of hornet spray. I sat out in the backyard and before long heard what sounded like a small helicopter coming in to land.

Huge, hovering death! I needed both hands to work the net with the handle extended so put the spray where I could grab it quick then, heart racing, took my best shot, blasted the net with hornet spray then turned and ran like hell just in case I missed and it was pissed.  Slow and cautious I returned and...

Hai-YAA!  

The lump in the net was still moving so I gave it another shot, this time point blank. 

I've never been much of a trophy hunter--never been one at all actually, but was downright giddy as I carefully removed it from the net and pinned it to a piece of wood, glued it in position and sprayed it with clear lacquer. The most difficult part was removing it from the net since it'd chomped down so hard that I never could get the net free from its jaws. There's a hole in the net now, the rest of it is that white stuff  in the jaws of my defeated foe. 

For the record it's exactly 2" long and has a 3 1/2" wingspan--both dimensions appear to be at least quadrupled when it's alive and flying anywhere near you. 

Henceforth on display in our home, albeit somewhere where my wife won't see it! She's not too keen on my new trophy, but happy the Osuzumebachi flybys over our yard have stopped just the same.