Invasive killer species potentially back in Washington

There has been a possible sighting of a northern giant hornet, previously nicknamed “murder hornet.”

The Washington Department of Agriculture (WSDA) confirmed, via a news release on Monday, it is investigating a sighting of the hornet near Port Orchard, Washington.

The department received a photo of the hornet. It then sent for the critter, which was found dead, in order to confirm its species within its facilities, Amber Betts with WSDA told KIRO Newsradio on Monday. WSDA will also run a DNA test to determine if it’s related to any of the northern giant hornets that were discovered in Whatcom County.

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State workers found and destroyed four of the hornet’s nests in Whatcom County, where there hasn’t been another sighting since 2021.

Betts said the recent sighting is concerning because it could mean the hornets are moving into new territory, but it’s also possible the hornet hitched a ride on a cargo ship from south Asia, where the insects originate.

“We don’t have all the information that we would need to be concerned as of yet,” Betts said. “We have had several one-off reports in the past, and typically those we attribute to what we call hitchhikers, especially when we find them and they’ve long been dead, which seems to be the case for this one. However, we can’t even yet confirm that it is indeed a positive report, positive meaning that we’ve been able to identify it as the northern giant hornet because we haven’t yet received the specimen itself.”

According to the WSDA’s website, the giant hornets are predators of honey bees, which is where Betts believes the nickname “murder hornets” came from. Betts said the main concern is the hornets’ aggression for pollinating honey bees.

“A few hornets can destroy a hive in a matter of hours,” the department’s website stated. “The hornets can enter a ‘slaughter phase’ where they kill entire hives by decapitating the bees. The hornets then defend the hive as their own, taking the brood to feed their own young.”

The WSDA said the hornets also attack other insects but are not known to destroy entire colonies of those insects.

Betts said the hornets can be dangerous to people who are allergic and get stung often.

“Typically, their stings are pretty painful,” she said.

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Northern giant hornets can be up to two inches long, according to the WSDA. They have large heads and distinct black and orange or yellow striped bodies.

The department urges people to stay informed and to report any potential sightings on WSDA’s website or by emailing pest@agr.wa.gov.

“By working together and taking swift action, we can help protect our environment and agricultural resources from the threat posed by this invasive species,” WSDA stated.

Contributing: Heather Bosch, KIRO Newsradio

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.