By Megan Paige
(NEXSTAR) – Just when you almost forgot about them, the so-called “murder hornets” are back. In 2021, the first dead Asian giant hornet was found in the U.S. in June, though experts believed it was likely an old hornet from a previous season, the Associated Press reported. A resident of Whatcom County, Washington, sighted the first live “murder hornet” of 2021. As the largest hornet species on earth, the Asian giant hornet’s stinger can also penetrate a traditional beekeeper’s uniform and deliver more toxins — and substantially more pain. In the photo seen above, WSDA entomologist Chris Looney displays a dead Asian giant hornet next to a smaller, native bald-faced hornet in 2020.
