Murder Hornets Facts: They are not Present in Our Area

Asian Giant Hornet aka 'Murder Hornet.' Photograph by Hanna Royals, Museum Collection, USDA-APHIS-PPQ

Recent news reports about ‘Murder Hornets’ appearing in the United States have many people concerned. We need to separate fact from fiction regarding these insects. The hornet is actually called the Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarina) and is native to East Asia. They get their name for preying on honeybees. The hornets can grow up to two inches long and can inflict painful stings. They have appeared in a few areas of Washington State and nowhere else. No reports of them from our area. Sometimes people mistake the European hornet and the cicada-killer wasp for murder hornets, but they are not.

Cicada Killer Wasps. Photograph by Jessica Louque, Smithers Vincent

European hornet. Photograph by Jim Baker, North Carolina State University