Report Northern Giant Hornet sighting
What's New
WSDA, USDA announce eradication of northern giant hornet from the United States
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. Read more in the latest news release.
Watch the latest press conference
WSDA held a virtual press conference about the eradication of northern giant hornet on December 18. Watch the recording.
In 2023 Georgia and South Carolina detected yellow-legged hornet
In August 2023, the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) detected a yellow-legged hornet. GDA is asking Georgians to report sightings of the yellow-legged hornet. Learn more and report online by visiting GDA’s webpage.
In November 2023, the first yellow-legged hornet was detected in a trap in South Carolina. Clemson University is asking for public assistance with monitoring for and reporting unusually hornet activity, especially around honey bee hives. Submit photos of suspected hornets using the YLH 123 survey.
In November 2023, the first yellow-legged hornet was detected in a trap in South Carolina. Clemson University is asking for public assistance with monitoring for and reporting unusually hornet activity, especially around honey bee hives. Submit photos of suspected hornets using the YLH 123 survey.
POPULATION GENOMICS OF THE INVASIVE NORTHERN GIANT HORNET VESPA MANDARINIA IN NORTH AMERICA AND ACROSS ITS NATIVE RANGE
Since 2019, an international team including researchers from Purdue University, WSDA and USDA-APHIS has been hard at work collecting and sequencing genetic data for NGH samples collected in the Pacific Northwest and across the species' native range. The team has now published a paper in Nature Scientific Reports analyzing the data.
Vespa mandarinia gets new common name
The Entomological Society of America has established "northern giant hornet" as the official common name for Vespa mandarinia - previously known in the United States as Asian giant hornet or murder hornet. We will be updating our webpages and publications in the comming weeks to reflect this change.
Northern Giant Hornet
This invasive hornet (Vespa mandarinia) is the world's largest species of hornet.
In December 2019, WSDA received and verified two reports of the hornet near Blaine. These were the first-ever sightings in the United States. Canada also discovered the hornets in two locations in British Columbia in the fall of 2019. In 2020 and 2021, both Washington and Canada had new confirmed sightings of the hornets.
By the end of 2021, WSDA located and eradicated four northern giant hornet nests in Whatcom County. From 2022 through 2024, no hornets were detected. At the end of 2024, WSDA declared the northern giant hornet eradicated from Washington State.
Northern giant hornet attacks and destroys honey bee hives. A few hornets can destroy a hive in a matter of hours. The hornets can enter a "slaughter phase" where they kill entire hives by decapitating the bees. The hornets then defend the hive as their own, taking the brood to feed their own young. They also attack other insects but are not known to destroy entire colonies of those insects.
While they do not generally attack people or pets, they can attack when threatened. Their stinger is longer than that of a honey bee and their venom is more toxic. They can also sting repeatedly.
If it becomes established, this hornet will have negative impacts on the environment, economy, and public health of Washington State.
In December 2019, WSDA received and verified two reports of the hornet near Blaine. These were the first-ever sightings in the United States. Canada also discovered the hornets in two locations in British Columbia in the fall of 2019. In 2020 and 2021, both Washington and Canada had new confirmed sightings of the hornets.
By the end of 2021, WSDA located and eradicated four northern giant hornet nests in Whatcom County. From 2022 through 2024, no hornets were detected. At the end of 2024, WSDA declared the northern giant hornet eradicated from Washington State.
Northern giant hornet attacks and destroys honey bee hives. A few hornets can destroy a hive in a matter of hours. The hornets can enter a "slaughter phase" where they kill entire hives by decapitating the bees. The hornets then defend the hive as their own, taking the brood to feed their own young. They also attack other insects but are not known to destroy entire colonies of those insects.
While they do not generally attack people or pets, they can attack when threatened. Their stinger is longer than that of a honey bee and their venom is more toxic. They can also sting repeatedly.
If it becomes established, this hornet will have negative impacts on the environment, economy, and public health of Washington State.
How to Report A Sighting
If you see an northern giant hornet or have seen evidence of a hive attack, please report it! There are several ways to report suspected sightings in Washington State:
- Report using the Hornet Watch Report Form
- Email hornets@agr.wa.gov
- Call 1-800-443-6684 (Online or email reporting is preferred and usually allows us to respond more quickly.)
- Your name and contact information
- The location of the sighting/attack
- Date of sighting/attack
- Photograph of the hornet or damage (we generally cannot confirm a report without a photo or specimen)
- If no photo, include a description of the size of the insect, color of the head and body, and what it was doing
- Description of the hive loss/damage (if no photo is available)
- Direction the hornet(s) flew when flying away
Report northern giant hornet sightings
Click here to go directly to WSDA's Hornet Watch Report Form to report northern giant hornet sightings in Washington State ONLY.
More information
Still can't find the answers to your questions? You can contact us using the email and phone number below.
hornets@agr.wa.gov
1-800-443-6684 (You will get a quicker response by sending an email.)
hornets@agr.wa.gov
1-800-443-6684 (You will get a quicker response by sending an email.)