US and Canada Gear Up for Another Asian "Murder Hornet" Season

upstart writes in with an IRC submission:

US and Canada gear up for another Asian 'murder hornet' season:

The Asian giant hornet - officially called Vespa mandarinia, the species is native to East Asia - first prompted concern in the US and Canada in 2019, when the first specimens were reported in both countries.

[...] The Asian giant hornet typically measures an inch-and-a-half in length and it is distinguished by a large head that is a mix of yellow and orange. US authorities said its sting is much more dangerous than that of bees or wasps and can cause "severe pain, swelling, necrosis and, in rare cases, even death" in some humans.

They can pose a risk to livestock and other insects, as well as honeybees, which are already facing dwindling numbers and for which the hornets "have a voracious appetite", according to Washington state authorities. "A small group of Asian giant hornets can kill an entire honeybee hive in a matter of hours," the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) said.

That is why experts have said it is important for the invasive species, which is not native to North America, to be eradicated.

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