What Are Asian Giant Hornets, and Are They Really Dangerous? 5 Questions Answered

According to recent press reports, two Asian giant hornets – a species not known to occur in North America – were found in northwest Washington state in late 2019, and a hornet colony was found and eliminated in British Columbia. Now scientists are trying to determine whether more of these large predatory insects are present in the region. University of Florida entomologist Akito Kawahara explains why headlines referring to “murder hornets” are misleading.