An invasive insect, dubbed the “murder hornet” because of its powerful sting and ability to destroy a honeybee hive in as little as 90 minutes, has been wiped out in the Pacific Northwest. The northern giant hornet was first spotted in Washington state near the Canadian border five years ago and may have arrived from China in plant pots or shipping containers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and its Washington state counterpart say there have been no detections of the world’s largest hornet since 2021.

adapted with permission from Earthweek.com