USDA Is Fighting Against Vespa Mandarinia

Americans have recently succeeded in eliminating the country's first gigantic nest of vespa mandarinia. It even hit headlines. Now scientists share the technical details of their fight against the invasive species.

Vespa mandarinia, which is commonly known as the Asian Giant Hornet and also called the Killer Hornet, is the world's largest hornet and is regularly seen in some area of Asia and Russia. However, only recently does it appear in North America. There have been sightings reported in Washington and British Columbia since 2019, suggesting the notorious insects have apparently become local immigrants.

From then on, the authorities have been trying to track down and eradicate the giant hornets that have emerged in the country, lest they establish their bases there.

The hornet’s venom can be dangerous to humans but in general, it’s rarely deadly to them. The ferocious-sounding soubriquet of “killer” is more related to the hornet’s tendency to attack and devastate honeybee’s hives —— They like to slay bee larvae.

Although some entomologists say the danger posed by vespa mandarinia has been exaggerated, U.S. agricultural authorities have been trying for months to find their nests and plan to destroy them before they spread throughout the United States.

Finally, vespa mandarinia’s nest last week was successfully exterminated in Bryan Town, Washington. But how did the department that controls exotic organisms do that? Even if we can find individual hornet, it is challenging to track it all the way to the nest because the nest is usually built in very hidden places.