Northern giant hornets, also known as Asian giant hornets and murder hornets, are the largest species of hornets in the world, measuring up to five centimetres long. These hornets, which are native to temperate regions of Asia, were first confirmed in North America in British Columbia and nearby Washington State in 2019. Social media users recently shared photos of hornets claiming the "murder hornets" are nesting north of Ottawa and were spotted in other location in Ontario. This is false. There are no confirmed sightings of the northern giant hornet anywhere in North America outside British Columbia and Washington State, and several photos that are shared on social media with the claims show the European hornet, which is regularly mistaken for the northern giant hornet.
A June 4 from a Facebook user says "the murder hornets are here, or something that sure looks like them." The post includes stock photos of northern giant hornets and a screenshot of a map with a location about 100 kilometres north of Ottawa. The post had been shared nearly 3,000 times as of publication.
The user says the post is not intended "to freak anyone out but there have been a number of confirmed sightings … of these Murder Hornet-like monsters nesting about an hour north of the ϳԹ Capital region."
Another Facebook user speculated in a May 13 that a large hornet that was found in their bathroom in a Markham, Ont., home could be a murder hornet.
Another Facebook user said in a June 4 that "northern giant hornet has made its way to Ontario and of course it’s moving eastward."
Rating: False
A flurry of recent social media reports claiming the invasive hornet had been spotted in Ontario prompted a swift denial from several experts, as reported by and the .
The photos provided by the Facebook users are either stock photos of northern giant hornets (viewable and ) or appear to be a different species.
Northern giant hornets, or murder hornets, are usually mistaken with other species of wasps that are similarly large but have different features on their bodies that set them apart.
The Ontario government northern giant hornets do not exits in Ontario and "it is unknown if they can survive Ontario winters."
"The northern giant hornet was first confirmed in North America in British Columbia and nearby Washington State in 2019. Since then authorities in both British Columbia and Washington State have been continuing to monitor the situation," the Ontario government says.
"It is not known how the northern giant hornet came to North America or how many introductions have occurred. There is no evidence of the northern giant hornet anywhere else in North America."
According to from the Washington State Department of Agriculture, the last confirmed sighting of the pest in British Columbia was in 2021.
Characteristics of Northern giant hornets
says the Northern giant hornet is the largest hornet in the world. The insect measures up to two inches, or five centimetres, long.
It says the invasive species generally doesn't attack people unless it feels threatened, but it attacks honey bee hives and can destroy them within hours.
"The pest preys on honey bees and poses an indirect threat to plants that depend on honey bees for pollination," the U.S. Department of Agriculture says.
It says the Northern giant hornet has a large, solid yellow or orange head with black eyes.
"Its abdomen has alternating bands that appear dark brown or black and yellow or orange," it says. "Its thorax is mostly solid dark brown or black, making a striking contrast with the color of its head."
Common lookalikes
Northern giant hornets are usually confused with other species of wasps and insects that are present in Ontario, and several of the Facebook users commenting under the posts that speculated about murder hornets appear to have of the European hornet.
The Ontario government says the European hornet is regularly mistaken for the northern giant hornet.
"This species was accidentally introduced into eastern North America more than 160 years ago and today it is common in parts of Ontario," it says.
"It is a very large wasp (2.5-3.5 centimetres), but much smaller than a northern giant hornet."
The European hornet has a darker red or brown colouring on their head and thorax, and it has a dark band at the top of its abdomen followed by a dark “teardrop” pattern.
Northern giant hornets in Canada
David Dutkiewicz is an entomology technician with the a non-profit organization that works to prevent the introduction and spread of high-risk invasive species in Canada. He in October 2020 about the sightings of the northern giant hornet in Canada, saying it was first discovered in the Nanaimo, B.C., region in September 2019.
"The BC government, ϳԹ Food Inspection Agency and local beekeepers were able to round up the population and destroy the nest in 2019."
Dutkiewicz says there was another sighting of the northern giant hornet in May 2020 in Langley, B.C., approximately 100 kilometres away from the Nanaimo sighting, which officials were once again able to destroy.
"Since northern giant hornets live underground in tunnels or spaces under rocks and homes, it can be challenging to find them early."
Northern giant hornet risks
Dutkiewicz says the northern giant hornets got the name "murder hornets" not because of their risk to humans, but because of their predatory behaviour toward North American honey bees.
"In the northern giant hornet’s native range throughout Southern Asia, honeybees have co-evolved with northern giant hornets and have strategies to expel or kill them when they enter the hive," he said.
"In North America (or Europe where they originated), honeybees haven’t experienced that same co-evolution and have no defenses against giant hornets."
Dutkiewicz says northern giant hornets are a major concern for beekeepers because of their ability to destroy honey bees hives in a few hours.
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture urges anyone who suspects they saw a northern giant hornet to report the sighting along with any photos to its .
Sources
Social media claims can be found on Facebook (, () and ()
Facebook users shared photos of European hornets under a post speculating about "murder hornets" () and ()
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