Learn About the Murder Hornet from UW-Superior Biology Professor

Not like COVID-19 was enough to worry about, now we have to deal with Murder Hornets?

You may have been reading lately about how the “Murder Hornet” has been found in the United States, but what does that mean for us? UW-Superior biology professor and honey bee apiary manager Dr. Edward Burkett gives us the details.

In a post on the UW-Superior website, the professor answers some questions we all have about the killer insect.

He says that the correct name is the “Asian giant hornet,”  and it is the largest hornet in the world. No one is sure how the hornet made it to America, but is was discovered last year in the Northwest area of the country.

But is it really dangerous? Yes, last year the two inch long insect killed 50 people in Japan, and the professor says that if you get stung over a dozen times you will die. Eek! He says the venom of the hornet is very toxic.

The Murder Hornets are particularly devastating to honey bees though, he says that “it only takes one to three dozen V. mandarinia to kill an entire honey bee colony (50,000 bees) and unfortunately, the western honey bee found in the U.S. has no defense.”

With all that said, Dr. Burkett says that it is very unlikely that the hornet will make it to our region any time soon, but it’s something to keep an eye on, especially on the west coast of the U.S.