OLYMPIA, WA – After three years without confirmed detections, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have declared the northern giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) eradicated from Washington and the United States.
Had the hornets become established in the country, they could have posed a significant threat to honey bees and other pollinators and native insects.
Northern giant hornets are able to kill an entire honey bee hive in as little as 90 minutes by ripping their heads off…