ALLIANCE, Ohio — "Yellowjackets on steroids" is what the European hornet is called by insect experts at the Ohio State University, and one man who calls himself the "Bee Man" had his hands full with the stingers.
A colony of European hornets set up housekeeping in an old Chevy El Camino in the Youngstown, Ohio, area, WOIO reported.
Travis Watson recorded himself trying to remove the massive hornets' nest from the driver's seat of the classic car, WFMJ reported.
He posted the video to his Facebook page Sunday where it has already received more than 130,000 views.
Watson said that the European hornet, which he said can grow to nearly two inches long, is not common to the Alliance, Ohio, area, WFMJ reported.
It wasn't his first time battling the insects but it isn't common. They are, however, increasing in population, WFMJ reported.
Watson used a blend of pesticides to get rid of the hornets and removed the nest. At one point he said he'd need a bigger bag to contain the remnants of the hornets' nest. He told WFMJ that he normally just throws away a nest unless the client wants to keep it.
Watson said he doesn't kill honey bees and normally relocates them. But the hornets were a different matter.
European hornets do not pollinate like honey bees and they feed their young other insects, even other yellowjackets. They also damage trees to gather bark for their nests, WFMJ reported.
The sting is also painful, Watson told WFMJ.
Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/3D34R7EPZZF5FNY2EDKYZA4L2I.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/OXHYF2FTMREUXA2QZPHCFT3FIM.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/EQFLTTW5ERC2XEYH2RZMTLSI3A.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/CAIFEEL2FFC4LIUQTLJGEKTUHM.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/WT5OX3M4DBAVDK2VKSM6HDKDUA.jpeg)