How 'murder hornets' came to the U.S.

The Asian giant hornet, an invasive species recently dubbed the "murder hornet" in the U.S. and known for its beheadings and slaughter of honey bees, has arrived in Washington state. But it's still unknown how many hornets there are (sightings are few), or how they traveled into the country.

"We don’t know exactly how it arrived here," said Timothy Lawrence, an associate professor in the Department of Entomology at Washington State University.

But insect experts have a pretty good idea — though definitively proving it might be impossible. Though there are a number of possibilities, a queen hornet may have hitched a ride on a container ship traveling across the Pacific Ocean, suggested Lawrence. Read more...

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