These hornets can enter beehives, kill large numbers of bees and take over the colony to feed their young. Their sting delivers a considerable amount of venom and can be dangerous, especially after multiple stings or for people with severe allergies.
Officials placed traps and attached tracking devices to captured hornets so they could locate and destroy their nests. Four nests were eliminated in Washington during 2020 and 2021, followed by several years of monitoring with no additional detections.
Although the original article suggests the insect is still spreading, that information is outdated. In December 2024, state and federal officials officially declared the northern giant hornet eradicated from Washington and the entire United States.
