It was announced in the United States that the largest hornet in the world, an invasive breed called the “murder hornet” because of its dangerous sting and its ability to destroy a honeybee hive within hours, has been eliminated, 5 years after it was first spotted in Washington state near the Canadian border. .
These hornets – which can reach 5 centimeters in length, and were previously called Asian giant hornets – attracted attention in 2013, when they killed 42 people in China and seriously injured 1,675 people.
The Departments of Agriculture in Washington and the United States announced the elimination of this insect on Wednesday, saying that no discovery of the northern giant hornet had been made in Washington since 2021.
“I have to tell you, as an entomologist, I’ve been doing this work for over 25 years now, and it’s a rare day when humans can win over insects,” Sven Spichiger, director of the pest program at the Washington State Department of Agriculture, said in a virtual news conference.
In the United States, about 72 people die annually from bee and wasp stings every year, according to data from the National Institutes of Health.