Reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state-level agriculture departments

U.S. Declares 'Murder Hornets' Eradicated in Washington, Thanks to Community Cooperation

Dec 18, 2024, 11:00 PM

The invasive 'murder hornet,' officially known as the northern giant hornet and formerly called Asian giant hornets, has been declared eradicated in the U.S. by the Washington and U.S. Departments of Agriculture. The announcement was made after no detections of the hornet were reported in Washington since 2021. The eradication effort was a significant achievement, involving community cooperation in setting traps and reporting sightings, as well as scientific efforts to track and destroy nests. Sven Spichiger, pest program manager at the Washington State Department of Agriculture, highlighted the rarity of such a victory against insects. The hornets, capable of reaching 2 inches in length, have been known to kill 42 people in China in 2013 and are responsible for around 72 deaths per year in the U.S. They pose a threat to pollinators like honey bees, which they can decimate in 90 minutes. The hornets were first detected in North America in British Columbia, Canada, in August 2019, and in Washington's Whatcom County in December 2019. DNA evidence suggested the populations in British Columbia and Washington were not related. Despite the eradication, vigilance will continue due to the potential for the hornets to return or other invasive species like yellow-legged hornets and southern giant hornets to emerge. Four nests were found and destroyed in Washington in 2020 and 2021, and monitoring will persist in Kitsap County following an unconfirmed sighting.