Pacific Northwest Faces Invasive Asian Giant Hornet: Deadly Venom and Hive Raids
An invasive Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) reached Washington State in 2019, where nests have numbered up to 1,500 and the hornet’s venom can kill, sometimes in severe stings; a single hunting raid can decapitate 30,000 honeybees to feed larvae, in a three‑phase attack that alarms beekeepers. Washington ran an aggressive eradication program through 2021 and 2024, and officials say the hornet is eradicated in the U.S., though introductions via shipping remain possible. In its native Asia, native honeybees have defenses while some predators, like certain frogs, can eat hornets; the broader risk to beekeeping and ecosystems persists.