You may be curious about the identity of the insect known as "The Murder Hornet" and whether or not it has the potential to become established in the United States. 24/7 Local Pest Control is available to address any concerns you may have regarding outdoor pest management.

The Murder Hornet, commonly known as the Giant Asian Hornet, is one of the largest hornets in the world. With a body length of 1.98 inches and a stinger that is one-fourth of an inch, their stinger injects a large amount of venom into an insect.

Giant Asian Hornets are found in temperate to tropical regions in East Asia, South Asia and mainland Southeast Asia. They primarily feed on tree sap, larger insects and social insects such as honeybees and the honey they produce.

In September 2019, a colony was confirmed in Vancouver, Canada and was eradicated. Recently, there was a sighting of two Giant Asian Hornets in Washington state, one of them being dead. After further investigation of the other insect, it was determined that there was no evidence of an established colony here in the United States.

The biggest threat that the Giant Asian Hornet could impose is the destruction of honeybee hives. Floyd Shockley, the entomology collections manager at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, stated, “It’s important to focus on the facts, and the facts don’t support that this is an established invasive that’s going to destroy the North American honeybee industry.”

When it comes to Giant Asian Hornets and their threat to humans, Shockley also stated that there is nothing to worry about. While their sting is more painful than that of a honeybee, they tend to keep to themselves and are only dangerous when they feel provoked.

24/7 Local Pest Control understands that pollinators are a valuable part of the ecosystem, which is why we created the Pollinator Protection Program. Our Pollinator Protection Program is our conscious effort to minimize the harm done to our buzzing friend, the bee while knocking out our pesky foe, the mosquito. The program is designed around three key areas:

We pride ourselves on our communication with our customers, starting with education and then working together when we customize our treatment plan for each individual property.

24/7 Local Pest Control has a treatment program to eradicate non-pollinator stinging insects such as wasps, hornets and ground-nesting yellow jackets. Wearing Personal Protection equipment, our technicians use an insecticidal dust formulation that is injected into the nest with a controlled device to eradicate the nest.

Are you ready to take back your yard? Reach out to your local 24/7 Local Pest Control to find a treatment plan that works best for your property.