Oklahomans Concerned About Possible Murder Hornets In The State

Many Oklahomans are concerned Asian Giant Hornets, or better known as murder hornets, are living in the state, but an entomology professor said there is no need to panic.

“They are given the name because they are potentially dangerous to humans,” said Wyatt Hoback, an Associate Professor of Entomology at OSU.

Dr. Hoback said murder hornets have a very powerful sting, and if you were to be attacked by many then this can cause serious harm.

“When they attack a honeybee hive, they attack the workers and take the larvae to feed their offspring,” said Hoback.

He said the hornets many are seeing are just Eastern Cicada Killers, which are nothing to worry about- they only kill those pesky bugs you can hear.

“These insects occur are around houses, people notice them, and so far, that is the main insect that has been reported in Oklahoma as a potential murder hornet,” said Hoback.

If you think you see a murder hornet Hoback said, “an Asian Giant Hornet has a big yellow head and is very broad and it has strips down its entire abdomen.”