So-called “murder hornets” have been eradicated from the U.S., officials announced Wednesday, five years after the invasive species was first identified in Washington state.
The northern giant hornet has not been detected in three years, prompting officials to announce its eradication from the U.S., the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in a joint statement Wednesday.
Officials said the multiyear effort to eradicate the species began in 2019 and involved “extensive collaboration between state, federal, and international government agencies as well as significant support from community members and groups.”
“I’m incredibly proud of our team, which has dedicated years of hard work to safeguarding our state and the nation from this invasive threat to our native pollinators and agriculture,” WSDA Director Derek Sandison said in the statement.
Sven Spichiger, WSDA pest program manager, pointed to the public’s help, noting that “all of our nest detections resulted directly or indirectly from public reports.” He added that half of all confirmed hornet detections also came from the public.
“We are proud of this landmark victory in the fight against invasive species,” Mark Davidson, deputy administrator at USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said in the statement. “The success of this effort demonstrates what’s possible when agencies and communities unite toward a common goal.”
