US hunting for killer hornets

THE WORLD’S largest hornet, a 5cm killer dubbed the “Murder Hornet” with an appetite for honey bees, has been found in Washington state, where entomologists were making plans to wipe it out.

The giant Asian insect, with a sting that could be fatal to some people, is emerging from winter hibernation.

“They’re like something out of a monster cartoon with this huge yellow-orange face,” said Susan Cobey, a bee breeder at Washington State University (WSU).

“It’s a shockingly large hornet,” said Todd Murray, a WSU Extension entomologist and invasive species specialist. “It’s a health hazard, and more importantly, a significant predator of honey bees.”

The hornet was sighted for the first time in the US in December last year, when the state Department of Agriculture verified two reports near Blaine, Washington, close to the Canadian border. It also received two probable, but unconfirmed reports from sites in Custer, Washington, south of Blaine.

The hornet can sting through most beekeeper suits, deliver nearly seven times the amount of venom as a honey bee, and sting multiple times, the department said, adding that it ordered special reinforced suits.

The hornets normally live in the forests and low mountains of eastern and Southeast Asia.

The hornet’s life cycle begins in April, when queens emerge from hibernation, feed on plant sap and fruit, and look for underground dens to build their nests. Like a marauding army, they attack honey bee hives, killing adult bees and devouring larvae and pupae, the university said.

Their stings are big and painful, with a potent neurotoxin. Multiple stings can kill humans.

Farmers depend on honey bees to pollinate many important crops. With the threat from giant hornets, “beekeepers may be reluctant to bring their hives here”, said Island County Extension scientist Tim Lawrence.

An invasive species can change growing conditions, Murray said. “We need to teach people how to recognise and identify this hornet while populations are small, so that we can eradicate it while we still have a chance.”

The state Department of Agriculture will begin trapping queens, with a focus on Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan, and Island counties.