Around New England

Murder Hornets Could Survive in Some Parts of New England, Biologist Says

May 12, 2020

Giant hornets capable of killing a human being that recently showed up in Washington state from Asia could survive in some parts of New England, a biologist said.

Southern New Hampshire has about the same climate as the northernmost part of Asia where the so-called murder hornets live, said Donald Chandler, a professor of biological sciences at the University of New Hampshire, according to The Union Leader.

The hornets, two inches long, are capable of wiping out entire bee colonies and kill about 50 people a year in Japan. The formal biological name is Vespa mandarinia.

Experts think it’s unlikely the murder hornets will migrate to New England from Washington state, but it’s possible they could be unwittingly transported here, according to The Union Leader.

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