Scientists Battle Murder Hornets in A Race Against Time

Vespa mandarinia, or Asian giant hornets (USDA)

Scientists in Washington state have embarked upon an urgent mission to track down and destroy nests of Asian giant hornets—or, as they are nicknamed, murder hornets. 

To date, fifteen of these insects have turned up in the United States. Notably, state entomologists managed to capture a live hornet on September 30 before attempting to attach a tracking device to its wings. However, the glue did not dry, and the gadget slipped off just before the hornet could fly away and lead officials to its nest. 

Live hornet capture on September 30 (WSDA)

Entomologists littered the surrounding area with around 30 live traps, which used orange juice and rice wine to attract the hornets. They were also baiting these insects with beehives by installing hive exclusionary devices that would let smaller bees go free while trapping the invasive hornets. Officials are confident that they have learned from their previous mishap, and by tagging the next live catch, they may finally uncover the location of an elusive hornet colony.

“We are supremely confident that, at least for the next couple of weeks, we’re probably going to snag one, if not more, of them, and we’ll be able to give this another try,” said Mr. Sprichiger, an entomologist in the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

Asian giant hornets, capable of growing to more than two inches long, are the largest species of its genus, and they were catapulted to international notoriety for their tendency to go on aggressive killing sprees that wipe out entire bee colonies in a matter of hours. As a result, the ongoing search is becoming increasingly urgent due to the hornets’ impending “slaughter phase,” which could potentially devastate pollinator populations and dent agricultural productivity.

The situation isn’t looking too grim—yet. Containment of the hornets hinges on effective and timely human intervention. 

Entire bee colonies can be decapitated by just a few hornets (WSDA)

“The actual number of colonies out there is so small that if we can find a few of those colonies, we might be able to completely eradicate them,” said Douglas Yanega, an entomologist from the University of California, Riverdale. “It doesn’t look like the kind of situation that’s capable of exploding on us, and it certainly hasn’t so far.”

Potential spread of Asian giant hornet colonies in 20 years, with and without human aid (PNAS)