Northern Giant 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 has wrapped up seasonal trapping of invasive pests including Japanese beetles and spongy moths.   According to WSDA, after seeing a drop in trapped beetles last year, overall beetle numbers increased in 2024.  Mo...

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...

While no detections have been reported this year, the Washington State Department of Agriculture is asking everyone to be on the lookout for the Northern Giant Hornet.  Formerly known as the Asian Giant, the Northern Giant is the world’s largest hornet, coming in at 1.5”-2” in length...

This week, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) announced results of its annual invasive pest survey season.

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