US Officials Declare Eradication of ‘Murder Hornets’

US agriculture and wildlife authorities have declared the eradication of the notorious “murder hornet” from the country, half a decade after these insects, which garnered significant media attention, were initially observed in Washington state. The Washington State Department of Agriculture confirmed on Wednesday that northern giant hornets, their official designation, have not been identified within the US for a period of three years. These invasive insects, originating from Asia, possess a potent sting capable of causing human fatalities. They are also able to eject venom, though they typically do not exhibit aggression towards humans unless provoked. Their primary targets are honeybees, essential for crop pollination, and they are capable of decimating an entire bee colony within a few hours. The eradication of the hornets was achieved through the deployment of traps, following public reports of sightings in the north-western region of Washington state. Their initial detection on US territory occurred in December 2019, approximately four months subsequent to their discovery in Canada’s British Columbia province. The first nest in the US was eliminated in 2020, a process that involved attaching a tracking beacon to a stray hornet. Officials then tracked its return to the nest and proceeded to destroy the complete colony. In a news release, Mark Davidson of the US Department of Agriculture stated, “We are proud of this landmark victory in the fight against invasive species.” During 2022, scientists deployed approximately 1,000 hornet traps across the state. The following year, in 2023, a single nest was located and promptly destroyed; it contained nearly 1,500 hornets “in various stages of development”. A total of four nests were identified and eliminated. During a news conference held on Wednesday, officials cautioned that the possibility remains for these hornets to reappear, or for other hazardous invasive hornet species to eventually reach US territory. Sven Spichiger, a pest specialist with the Washington State Department of Agriculture, remarked, “They got here once and they could do it again.” Officials mentioned in a news release detailing the eradication that a potential sighting of one of the hornets was reported by a member of the public in October 2024. Despite this report being unconfirmed, authorities intend to deploy traps in that vicinity. Even though human attacks are relatively uncommon, these 2-inch (5cm) insects are documented to cause between 50 and 75 fatalities annually. The Entomological Society of America revised its nomenclature in 2022, adopting “northern giant hornet” instead of its former “Asian giant hornet” designation, prompted by considerations regarding anti-Asian bias.