State and Federal Efforts to Address the Murder Hornet Menace

There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the latest invasive species to hit the national news cycle: the Asian giant hornet, Vespa mandarinia, more commonly known by the fear-inducing nickname “murder hornet.”

But despite the eye-catching headlines, so far there have been few official sightings of the insect in North America. In late 2019, a nest was found and destroyed in Vancouver, Canada, and two sightings of individual hornets were reported in Washington State. While these numbers are currently small, if left unchecked the Asian giant hornet could seriously harm already declining North American bee populations. Asian giant hornets prey on native pollinators and therefore threaten ecosystems and agriculture wherever they establish their nests. Unlike their counterparts in Asia, native and domesticated bees in North American have no natural defense against Asian giant hornets. State and federal preemptive action is being taken to stop the invasion in its early stages.

About the Asian Giant Hornet The Asian giant hornet, which can be found in many parts of South, East, and Central Asia, is the largest hornet species in the world—queens can grow up to 2 inches in length. It delivers toxic venom through a powerful sting likened to a “hot nail” that can sometimes be lethal. In Japan, the hornets kill about 40 people a year. While the prospect of getting stung by an Asian giant hornet is understandably alarming, these insects are unlikely to attack unless disturbed and do not present a major threat to humans. The biggest risk the hornets pose is to other bees. Asian giant hornets feed on insects and often target honeybees, destroying entire hives in just a few hours. The hornets decapitate their victims in a violent, frenzied attack before eating them, which is how the species earned its murderous moniker. Because they prey on pollinators, Asian giant hornets can threaten ecosystems and agriculture wherever they establish their nests. Unlike their counterparts in Asia, North American native pollinators and domesticated species such as European honeybees (Apis mellifera) have no natural defense against Asian giant hornets. Native and commercial bees contribute an estimated $15 billion in crop value every year through pollination and serve as invaluable keystone species for ecosystems throughout the continent. Asian giant hornets are emerging at a time when insect pollinators are facing population declines due to habitat destruction, pesticides, and a changing climate.

State Action

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is already working to eradicate the Asian giant hornet before large populations are established in

the United States and has recently released a report detailing its public outreach strategy and extermination methodology.

According to the report, effectively controlling the Asian giant hornet population requires a strong understanding of their life-cycle. The queen hornets mate in late fall, hibernating through the winter while the rest of the nest dies. Queens emerge in the spring to raise their young and re-establish nests.

WSDA’s plan highlights techniques for targeting queens before new nests can be established, using baited traps for queens in November or between April and June. From July through October, worker hornets, which do not typically travel beyond a 2-kilometer radius of their nest, can be spotted and followed back to their nests, which are then destroyed. Queens do not produce reproductive offspring until September, so the earlier nests can be spotted, the better for eradication efforts.

WSDA has also been conducting outreach to beekeepers and the general public to encourage reports on Asian giant hornet sightings. Photographs of suspected hornets, along with location details, can be submitted to the WSDA to inform scientific understanding of the spread of the insects and improve management responses. Public education is also necessary to prevent other insects from becoming unintended victims of misguided eradication efforts. As outlined in the Los Angeles Times, in a panic to catch and destroy Asian giant hornets, concerned people around the country are laying traps and destroying native pollinators instead.

Federal Action

On May 8, 2020, House Committee on Natural Resources Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), introduced the Murder Hornet Eradication Act. This proposed legislation would create $4 million in funding from the Department of Interior to support state efforts to exterminate Asian giant hornets and restore bee populations impacted by the hornet. The $4 million in funding would be available each year between 2021 and 2025 to states that have a proven need for such assistance.

The Murder Hornet Eradication Act is modeled after the Nutria Eradication Act of 2003 (updated in February 2020), which has supported state efforts—particularly in Louisiana and Maryland—to eradicate invasive, ecologically destructive rodents known as nutria. While nutria still remain a significant problem in Louisiana, in Maryland eradication efforts have been more successful and the rodent is close to being completely eliminated within the state.

When introducing the new legislation, Chair Grijalva emphasized the importance of taking early action to address the threats posed by invasive species: “We’re learning, painfully and repeatedly, that we can’t just ignore the natural world or treat it as an enemy to be defeated.” He continued, “We have to more intelligently and actively manage our relationship with wildlife from now on. This bill is about getting a head start on an obvious problem before it’s too late.”

Authors: Uma Atre and Amber Todoroff