World’s largest hornet, which killed 42 people in China in 2013, has been wiped out in US five years after first being spotted

Summary

The invasive northern giant hornet, nicknamed the “murder hornet,” has been officially declared eradicated in the US, five years after first being detected in Washington state.

The hornets, which posed significant threats to honeybees and native insects, were wiped out through public cooperation, trapping efforts, and innovative tracking by researchers.

First spotted in 2019, the hornets decimated bee hives and could deliver dangerous stings. Four nests were destroyed in Washington by 2021.

Officials remain vigilant, though no confirmed sightings have occurred since 2021, marking a rare success in invasive species control.

  • jagged_circle@feddit.nlEnglish
    10·
    4 days ago

    The hornet can sting through most beekeeper suits, deliver nearly seven times the amount of venom as a honeybee, and sting multiple times. At one point the Washington agriculture department ordered special reinforced suits from China.