murder hornet

The director of the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Todd Murray, has been elected chair of the Washington Invasive Species Council.   “This is a milestone for me,” Murray said. “Ever since I identified and reported my first invasive , I’ve enjoyed leveraging WSU Extension’s reach to help groups like landscapers, master gardeners, pest management professionals, and city workers, educati

The Washington State Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday the “murder hornet” has been eradicated from the Evergreen State.   “We’re pleased to announce the eradication of the northern giant hornet in Washington state,” Derek Sandison, WSDA director, said. “I’m incredibly proud of our team...

The Washington State Department of Agriculture is investigating a possible northern giant hornet sighting in the Burley area near Port Orchard.  This invasive species is a known predator of honeybees.  The northern giant hornet is the largest hornet in the world, measuring up to 2 inches long.  This invasive spe...

2020 was full of strange happenings and scary headlines, with one of them being the arrival of a new killer bug.

For the first time since being detected in the northwest corner of the state, the Washington state Department of Agriculture did not trap or confirm any sightings of the Northern Giant Hornet, formerly known as the Asian Giant.  WSDA noted while this is an encouraging step, the hornet is not yet considered eradicated.  Federal...

The Entomological Society of America has adopted “northern giant hornet” for the species Vespa mandarinia in its Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms List.  While there was no official ESA common name until now, the hornet has been most often referred to as “Asian giant hornet” or “murder hornet” since its introduction in North America became widely known in 2020. The Washington State Dep

The Washington state Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday plans to set about 1,000 traps this year in their quest to wipe out the Asian giant hornet. Those traps will be set in Whatcom County, where the invasive pest was first detected in 2019 ...

Researchers at Washington State University say they have provided beekeepers another tool in the fight against Asian giant hornet. WSU Postdoctoral Researcher Kelly Kulhanek teamed up with Associate Professor Brandon Hopkins to create Distinguishing Asian Giant Hornet Damage to Honey Bee Colonies, a fact sheet that is free to download through the WSU Extension ...

Photo: WSDA The Asian Giant is not native to the Pacific Northwest, so what have they been eating for the past couple of years. Scientists studied the frass, or fecal matter, of Asian giant hornet larvae and determined the invasive species ate many things that were expects, such as paper wasps and honeybees ...

Are invasive species hiding in your trees? The Washington State Department of Agriculture is asking you to check trees, lights, outdoor equipment and standing water in your yard for harmful bugs. It’s all part of National Tree Check Month in August. “ ...