Murder hornets or European hornets? How to tell the difference

The Asian giant hornet has buzzed its way into the northwestern corner of the United States. And while there’s no evidence that any of the so-called “murder hornets” have made their way anywhere near Virginia (no sightings have been reported outside of Washington state, in fact), that doesn’t mean local residents aren’t considering the possibility.

So how can you tell if the hornet you see in your yard is one of these new varieties or a more traditional one?

An Asian giant hornet is about two inches in length while the European hornets – which have begun to emerge locally to start new nests – are smaller and have smaller heads.

Unlike the Asian giant hornet, European hornets do not specifically go after bees as they are generalist predators. Their Asian counterparts (which originate from China, Japan and Southeast Asia) are dubbed “murder” hornets because they go after bees and beehives as a source of food for their larva.

Bees in Asian have adapted to deal with this predator, while bees in North America have no defense. Asian giant hornets do not swarm, so unless there is a hive, they typically are found alone.

European hornets have very similar physical distinctions to Asian giant hornets but are not dangerous to the environment. And the Asian hornets are twice as large as the European variety, with bright yellow colors and eyes lower on the face.

Another type of hornet – the cicada killer – is just about as large as the new Asian variety but does not have a distinctive bright yellow color.

What should you do if you encounter what you believe to be an Asian giant hornet?

“Our offices are closed and are not accepting specimens due to COVID-19, but if citizens are concerned, they can take a picture of the hornet and keep it in a pill bottle filled with alcohol or hand sanitizer,” said Ed Olsen of Virginia Cooperative Extension Henrico County Office. Olsen’s e-mail address is edo@vt.edu.