US won its war on 'murder hornets,' officials say

What happened

U.S. officials declared victory Wednesday over the invasive northern giant hornet, or "murder hornet," five years after the first ones were spotted in Washington state.

Who said what

Murder hornets, native to Asia, can grow to 2 inches long and "pose significant threats to pollinators and native insects," CNN said. "They can wipe out a honeybee hive in as little as 90 minutes, decapitating the bees" and stealing their hive. Their "powerful sting" can also "kill a human," and they can "spit venom," the BBC said, though "attacks on humans are fairly rare."

After the first murder hornet was spotted in Washington in 2019, state specialists and "more than 1,00 'citizen scientists'" worked diligently to track down and trap the hornets, eradicating four nests in 2020 and 2021, The Washington Post said. The last confirmed sighting was in September 2021.

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"I've gotta tell you, as an entomologist — I've been doing this for over 25 years now, and it is a rare day when the humans actually get to win one against the insects," said Sven Spichiger, pest program manager of the Washington State Department of Agriculture, said at a press conference.

What next?

There are other invasive hornet species in the U.S., and the murder hornets "got here once and they could do it again," Spichiger said. "We will continue to be vigilant."