Japanese Company Sells Jars of Honey Complete with Dead Giant Hornets

A small batch honey producer in Oita Prefecture, Japan, recently sparked controversy online after it was reported that it sells a product aptly called Honey with Hornets, which actually contain a giant dead hornet suspended in the sweet liquid.

While the decision to put a dead hornet inside a jar of honey can definitely be called questionable, even more so is the fact that the giant Japanese hornets are actually placed inside the jar while still alive and left to drown in the viscous liquid. According to an article on SoraNews24, the hornets, which are known natural enemies of bees, are captured alive by beekeepers while trying to encroach on the bees’ territory to be used as macabre decorations for the company’s jars of honey.

The honey producer claims that apart from the decorative aspect, the dead hornets’ essences and extracts leak into the honey, making it healthier and more delicious. However, on its website the company points out that you shouldn’t actually eat the insect, just the honey it drowned in. Instead, you can preserve it in alcohol, as a souvenir. Just be careful when handling it, the wasp may be dead, but its stinger can still hurt you.

【蜂注意】ミツバチの天敵であるスズメバチに対する、養蜂家の恨みつらみが詰まったハチミツがもう狂気の沙汰。「命をかけて」生け捕りにしたオオスズメバチを、生きたままハチミツに漬けこむという斜め上のサイコっぷりで、買わずにはいれなかった。 pic.twitter.com/ygddAzIvq3

— ヤギの人（ゐうさい） (@yusai00) March 11, 2019

Honey with Hornets can be ordered online via Japanese e-commerce platform Rakuten, for a price of 1,260 yen ($11) per 150-gram jar. That’s pretty expensive, but hey, it comes with a souvenir…

Honey with Hornets started attracting attention after Twitter user @yusai00 posted photos of the creepy jars online.