What are northern giant hornets?
You may have heard of northern giant hornets, also known as Asian giant hornets or “murder hornets”. They are a fascinating animal with many lookalikes, so read on if your curiosity has been stung!
Northern giant hornets are an invasive species in B.C., and although their sightings are relatively uncommon, they can be a scary insect to come across.
Northern giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia) are the largest hornets in the world, growing up to 5cm long (that’s nearly the length of your thumb!). They originate from temperate and tropical regions in China, Korea, Japan and northern India.
Northern giant hornets are the largest hornets in the world ( photo credit: Karla Salp, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org)
What do they look like?
Northern giant hornets can be identified by the following characteristics:
- Bright yellow-orange head
- Dark brown or black thorax (where the legs and wings attach)
- Striped abdomen
- Yellow stinger region
- Size ranges from 2.5 cm to 5 cm long
Northern giant hornets build their nests in the ground or in tree stumps, which can make them difficult to detect. This species tends to prefer low forests and mountains over high-altitude climates and plains.
How did they get here?
Northern giant hornets were most likely brought to North America by accident, on container ships.
To help stop the spread of invasive species like these giant hornets, always check materials carefully before moving them. Look for insects, eggs, small animals, seeds, or plant parts that could be tagging along.
Learn more about our prevention campaigns below:
What problems do they cause?
Northern giant hornets are hungry, hungry creatures. They feed on native insects, including butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, and others.
Northern giant hornets are a honeybee predator and pose a risk to commercial pollination industries, which could impact B.C. agriculture.
Despite the nickname “murder hornet” commonly used in the media, northern giant hornets are not interested in humans or pets. Their nickname arose from their predatory behaviour towards insects, and they will only attack humans if their nests are threatened.
They can also have an impact on hiking and other recreational activities. If humans unknowingly disturb their nests, the northern giant hornets can react very aggressively, making areas where their nests are located difficult to pass through.
Northern giant hornets may impede recreational activities if they build their nests near trails. (Karla Salp, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org)
What should I do if I see a Northern giant hornet?
Northern giant hornets are not established in B.C., so sightings are relatively uncommon. In 2019, a single nest was found and destroyed in Nanaimo. Since then, a handful of individual hornets have been found in the Fraser Valley.
If you think you’ve seen a northern giant hornet, try to take a photo of the specimen. You can send photos and reports to us here.
If you have been stung, don’t rub the site as it will encourage the venom to spread. Place an ice pack on the location to reduce inflammation. If you have symptoms of an allergic reaction, seek medical help immediately.
The northern giant hornet is occasionally confused with native (and mostly harmless) insects, so you may want to familiarize yourself with the lookalike species below.
What are some lookalike species?
Horntail wasp
Horntail wasps (also known as giant woodwasps) do not bite or sting, and can grow up to 4cm.
Bald-faced hornet
Bald-faced hornets are much smaller than northern giant hornets. They can grow up to 2 cm long. It has a mostly white face and white and black colouration on its body.
This species is aggressive and may attack humans who threaten their space.
Yellow jacket
Yellow jacket is a common name that includes several species in the genera Vespula and Dolichovespula. These wasps have striking yellow and black markings and grow up to 18mm long. Northern giant hornets are much larger than yellow jacket wasps.
Photo credit: bobmcd, iNaturalist
See the image below for a side-by-side comparison of the northern giant hornet (top) vs a yellow jacket wasp (bottom).
Photo credit: Govt of BC
Elm sawfly
The elm sawfly grows up to 3cm long and does not sting.
Learn more about other invasive insects:
References:
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