After years of effort, Washington state has declared victory in its battle against the invasive northern giant hornet, officials announced Wednesday. The hornet, notorious for its size and its nickname, “murder hornet,” has not been detected in the state since 2021.
Sven-Erik Spichiger of the Washington State Department of Agriculture confirmed the milestone. “We can officially say that eradication has been achieved,” he said, noting the absence of the hornet for the past three years meets the criteria for eradication.
LOOK: Washington wildlife officials destroy the first nest of the year belonging to hundreds of Asian Giant Hornets, a.k.a. "murder hornets" pic.twitter.com/0yb0Gm73MS
— Bloomberg Originals (@bbgoriginals) August 27, 2021
First detected in the Pacific Northwest in 2019, the hornet sparked alarm due to its aggressive nature, ability to kill honeybees and risk to human safety. In Japan, it causes up to 50 deaths annually. In Washington, its predation on pollinators raised concerns for the state’s multi-billion-dollar agricultural industry.
Murder hornets have officially been eradicated from the United States, officials announced earlier today.
FULL STORY: https://t.co/JhNEml0tiP pic.twitter.com/Mmhxxk88UH
— KATV News (@KATVNews) December 19, 2024
Four nests were destroyed in 2021 in Whatcom County near the Canadian border, marking the last confirmed sightings of the hornet. Officials emphasized the importance of public participation in the eradication effort, including trapping and reporting sightings.
Nicole Russo of the U.S. Department of Agriculture praised the teamwork involved, saying, “The close collaboration we enjoyed with our partners at WSDA is what made today possible.”
Invasive ‘murder hornets’ are wiped out in the U.S., officials sayhttps://t.co/1uPpYq576N pic.twitter.com/up707C5o3O
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) December 18, 2024
Experts noted that failure to act quickly could have resulted in the hornet becoming entrenched in the state, making eradication nearly impossible. The hornet is the largest of its kind in the world, with a powerful sting capable of piercing beekeeping suits.
