Don't Worry About Murder Hornets In RI, Says URI Scientist

KINGSTON, RI — News of so-called "murder hornets" has fanned concern for Americans since two were found in Washington state several months ago. Rhode Islanders shouldn't worry about the massive bugs coming to our state though, said a scientist at the University of Rhode Island.

"Their reputation as murder hornets comes from the fact that they can kill a lot of honeybees in a very short period of time," said entomologist Lisa Tewksbury. "The major concern about their arrival in North America is for the damage they could cause to commercial honeybees used for pollinating agricultural fields. They are capable of quickly destroying beehives."

The insects, properly known as Asian giant hornets, are native to Japan. At two inches in length, the monstrous hornets are responsible for about 50 human deaths each year. However, their sting is no more toxic than other bees and hornets commonly found in New England. The difference comes in the size of the stinger, she said, which can deliver a much larger dose than smaller varieties.

"They’re not known to aggressively attack humans," Tewksbury said. "It only happens occasionally and randomly."

The "murder hornet" moniker comes from their tendency to prey on honeybees, ripping off their heads and feeding the bodies to their young.

The likelihood of this type of insect reaching the Northeast or Rhode Island specifically is very low, the scientist said, though experts aren't sure how they got to the Pacific Northwest in the first place.

"We don’t know the pathway it took to get to Washington, and since we don’t know, it’s difficult to know how to prevent further introductions into North America," Tewksbury said.

There are, however, two types of hornets native to Rhode Island that are close in size to the Asian species. Cicada killer and European hornets can be found in the Ocean State and are among the largest wasp-like insects in the world, Tewksbury said. The first can be found in areas like playgrounds and athletic fields because they make their nests in light, sandy soil, while the second has been found in the state since it was brought to the region in the 1800s.

Residents who do spot an unusual insect are encouraged to report it to the Department of Environmental Management.

"Take a picture of it and report it to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management’s invasive species sighting form," Tewksbury said. "It could be something that we don’t know is here, and reporting it is the only way anyone would know."