Murder hornets, also known as Asian giant hornets, made headlines in 2020 after they made a still-yet-to-be-explained appearance in Washington state.
It’s likely that these not-so-gentle giants will make headlines again, as temperatures shoot up and hornet queens emerge from their underground hibernation.
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According to experts, hornet queens are the only members of the nest who survive the winter. As temperatures rise, the queen crawls out of her hibernation state and begins to have babies.
At the beginning of the queen’s emergence, she’s solely focused on caring for her new brood and making sure they are protected.
Soon after, however, the nest grows, and countless, two-inch-long hornet workers are ready to attack beehives — and even people. Murder hornets are carnivorous and kill bees by decapitation.
While the murder hornet’s full season only lasts about six months, they are responsible for as many as 50 human deaths per year in Asia.
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While murder hornets first emerged in the United States in May of 2020, authorities in Washington state are still working to learn more about when exactly murder hornet queens will make their way out of hibernation this year.
Some scientists believe that last year’s murder hornet queens are likely to stick to the Washington state area, while others think that they’ll eventually complete a cross-country migration.
Officials in Washington are working diligently to control the spread of Murder Hornets and take out as many hives as possible.
Watch the full news report below about the eradication of the first nest in Washington.