Official announcements from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA)

Northern Giant Hornets Eradicated in US, First Detected in Washington State in 2019

Dec 19, 2024, 03:30 AM

The invasive species known as the 'murder hornet,' officially named the northern giant hornet, has been eradicated from the United States, according to officials from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The eradication was announced after no confirmed sightings of the hornet were reported for the past three years. The effort to eliminate the hornet, which began in 2019, involved extensive collaboration between state, federal, and international agencies, as well as significant public participation. The hornet, first detected in Washington state in December 2019, poses a threat to honey bees and other pollinators, capable of destroying an entire hive in 90 minutes. Four nests were destroyed in Whatcom County in 2021 as part of the eradication efforts. A suspicious hornet sighting was reported in Kitsap County in October, but it could not be confirmed, and the WSDA will continue trapping in the area in 2025 as a precautionary measure. The WSDA and USDA praised the joint efforts and public involvement that led to this successful eradication.