'Murder hornets' eradicated from US, officials announce

20.12.2024 02:11

Kxan.com

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – It’s official: The northern giant hornet — colloquially known as a “murder hornet” — has been eradicated from the United States, according to federal officials.

The state of Washington has not had any confirmed detections of the world’s largest hornet for three years. State and federal agencies announced the accomplishment on Wednesday.

“We’re pleased to announce the eradication of the northern giant hornet in Washington state,” the state's Department of Agriculture Director Derek Sandison said. “I’m incredibly proud of our team, which has dedicated years of hard work to safeguarding our state and the nation from this invasive threat to our native pollinators and agriculture.”

The northern giant hornet was first detected in North America five years ago, with one sighting in British Columbia, Canada in August 2019 and another in Washington in December 2019.

The introduction of these hornets posed a serious threat to the country’s native pollinators like honey bees. According to the WSDA, a northern giant hornet can kill an entire honey bee hive within 90 minutes.

They can also deliver a painful sting, which can be deadly if a person is stung repeatedly. They rarely attack people.

WSDA staff opened the section of tree containing the first hornet nest detected in the United States at a Washington State University facility during COVID-19. Oct. 2020. Left to right: Rian Wojahn, Chris Looney, Sven Spichiger, Jessica La Belle, Cassie Cichorz, Karla Salp. (WSDA)
WSDA's hornet eradication team after removing hornets from the tree at the first hornet nest detection in the United States, Oct. 2020. Left to right: Chris Looney, Cassie Cichorz, Sven Spichiger, and Rian Wojahn. (WSDA)
The northern giant hornet found in the Burley area near Port Orchard, Wash. on Oct. 3, 2024. (Washington State Department of Agriculture)

“We are proud of this landmark victory in the fight against invasive species,” said Dr. Mark Davidson, the deputy administrator with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. “By tackling this threat head-on, we protected not only pollinators and crops, but also the industries, communities, and ecosystems that depend on them.”

Since 2019, WSDA has handled several hornet nests. In October 2020, officials eradicated a single nest and later destroyed three nests in 2021. All nests were found inside alder tree cavities.

The most recent report of a “suspicious hornet sighting” took place in Kitsap County in October 2024, when a community member showed WSDA officials a photo of what could not be identified as a northern giant hornet.

“All we can say is that the image appears to be a hornet of some kind,” WSDA pest program manager Sven Spichiger said. “How it came to be in Kitsap County, we don’t know.”

The original hornet was never located, but WSDA set several traps in the area and never confirmed another case. The department will continue to set traps in the area through 2025.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.