Fear Not, Fellow Texans! Murder Hornets Have Now Been Eradicated
Do you guys remember when Texas was invaded by killer bees, aka Africanized honey bees, in the '90s and we were all going to die? Maybe this was kind of like that.
The only thing is that killer bees are still in Texas, and a few other states and are still dangerous due to their aggressive nature. Killer bees are more likely to attack in large numbers than your regular run-of-the-mill honey bee. But we didn't die en masse like we thought we were going to.
Nearly five years after the first reported "murder hornets" were spotted on U.S. soil, they have now been officially declared eradicated here.
In '20, Murder hornets, which were thought to have made their way to the U.S. because of a penchant to hibernate in various materials, were likely unknowingly shipped into the country on cargo ships or some other type of commercial transportation.
What's a Murder Hornet?
- MASSIVE, they are up to 2 inches long.
- They have large yellow-orange heads with huge eyes.
- A yellow and striped body.
- Its stinger is so big that it can penetrate a beekeeper's suit.
Murder Hornets Have Now Been Eradicated in the U.S.
NPR reports that "The invasive insects known as "murder hornets" have been declared eradicated by Washington state wildlife officials, five years after they were first spotted in the United States."
In the end, it appears that the massive hornets only made it as far as Washington state, despite the worrisome headlines that year. Which is great news for humans and honey bees. These monster hornets are known to destroy honey bee hives in hours. They can also be dangerous to humans as well.