Asian Giant Hornets
The U.S. has plenty of invasive species, but few have as evocative a nickname as the murder hornet, more formally known as the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia).
These giant buggers likely first arrived in Canada underneath our nose in cargo containers. While they pose a threat to humans, their murderous reputation is more chalked up to the bees they prey on. A few hornets alone can wipe out an entire nest within days, often with plenty of decapitation involved. If that wasn’t enough, their stings reportedly feel like being “stabbed by a red-hot needle.” Bees living in murder hornets’ native range have evolved defenses, but the bees in the U.S. have no such luck, raising concerns that these hornets would further disturb the already declining bee population.
So far, despite plenty of anecdotal reports, their sightings have been limited to Washington state. But while bug scientists have been able to effectively eradicate local nests they’ve discovered so far, it may only be a matter of time before they spread further into the U.S.
