Experts: ‘Murder Hornets’ are not a Threat to US

They may be freakishly large and have a threatening-sounding name, but there’s no need to worry about ‘murder hornets,’ experts say. This is unless you’re a honeybee.

Dismissing the country’s fear of an impending murder hornet invasion as “hype,” insect researchers say the flying bugs aren’t even deserving of their menacing name. “They are not ‘murder hornets,'” says Chris Looney, an entomologist with the Washington Agricultural Department. “They are just hornets. The number of people who are stung and have to seek medical attention is incredibly small.”

Supporting Looney’s comments, the University of California scientist Doug Yanega says residents of Japan, Korea, and China have “co-existed with this hornet for thousands of years.”

University of Delaware entomologist Doug Tallamy adds, “This is 99 percent media hype and frankly I’m getting tired of it.