Saw a Giant Hornet in Bulverde? What It Most Likely Is
Whatever buzzed past you in Bulverde, it wasn't an Asian giant hornet. The species, renamed the northern giant hornet, has no confirmed record anywhere in Texas, and the U.S. population was declared wiped out in late 2024. Odds are high that your big wasp was a cicada killer: a native hunter of cicadas that seldom stings and rarely calls for any treatment.
When a large wasp is nesting where your family walks or plays, Pest Trappers can name it and lay out the choices. Reach us at (210) 281-1064 (voice or text) or through online booking.
The record, in four facts #
- Texas status: none. TAIS says the hornet is not present in the state, and AgriLife's 2020 review turned up no confirmed U.S. reports beyond the Pacific Northwest.
- Its only North American foothold: a corner of British Columbia and one county in northwest Washington.
- Eradicated: on December 18, 2024, USDA and Washington's agriculture agency announced it gone from the country, three years after the last confirmed find. APHIS framed it as a win over the largest hornet on Earth, while Washington noted a new introduction is always possible.
- The new name: the national entomology society dropped "Asian giant hornet" in 2022 in favor of "northern giant hornet," and agencies followed.
AgriLife entomologists also doubt Texas would suit it, pointing to our hot summers and open, treeless country.
Bulverde look-alikes, starting with the usual suspects #
AgriLife names cicada killers and pigeon horntails as the two insects most often mistaken for the giant hornet. Others round out the list.
- Cicada killer. Roughly an inch to an inch and a half; reddish front half, yellow-striped dark abdomen, honey-tinted wings. In summer it tunnels into sunny bare ground, leaving holes ringed by loose dirt. The males have no stinger and the females seldom use theirs. More at cicada killers in Bulverde.
- Pigeon horntail. Hornet-like colors on a thick, straight body with no pinch in the middle. It cannot sting.
- Southern yellowjacket queen. Huge next to her half-inch workers and mostly orange. More at yellowjackets in Bulverde.
- Tarantula hawk. As long as 2 inches, metallic blue-black, often with bright orange wings. More at tarantula hawks in Bulverde.
- Baldfaced hornet. Three-quarter inch, black and ivory, building a closed gray nest up in trees.
- Bumble or carpenter bee. Chunky and loud; the carpenter bee shows a glossy, nearly hairless abdomen.
The head-and-waist test #
AgriLife describes the genuine article as 1.5 to 2 inches, with a vivid orange-yellow head as broad as, or broader than, the body just behind it, plus a dark brown thorax and a narrow waist. Now compare: on a cicada killer the head is the slimmer part, and a horntail never narrows at the waist. Those two looks settle most Bulverde sightings, and a clear photo settles nearly all the rest.
New to Bulverde? The big wasps are part of summer #
Bulverde is growing quickly. The Census population estimate went from 5,703 at the 2020 base to 7,198 in July 2024, so plenty of households here are new to Hill Country summers. Big native wasps come with it: cicada killers over lawns and tarantula hawks on flowers. Both look alarming and very rarely cause trouble.
If you're interested in truly rare local creatures, they are underground. A City of San Antonio regional plan notes that known and possible habitat for Bexar County's endangered cave invertebrates reaches almost to Bulverde and Scenic Oaks.
How to report a suspected sighting #
If, after the checks above, you still believe you have a northern giant hornet:
- Take a picture from a comfortable distance, ideally next to a coin or ruler.
- Send it to Texas A&M entomologists using the department's online insect identification form, which is where TAIS directs Texans.
- Beekeepers who suspect a hornet raid on a hive can reach TAIS directly: 979-321-5827, or [email protected].
- Skip Washington State; its agriculture agency only handles reports from inside Washington.
And spare the cicada killers. AgriLife counts them as beneficial and rarely sees a reason to control them.
When to call Pest Trappers instead #
Some look-alikes do need attention, especially yellowjackets and baldfaced hornets nesting near doors, play areas or a mowed lawn. AgriLife says established colonies of those should be handled by professionals. A technician confirms what the insect is, finds the nest and explains your choices before anything is applied, always following the label. Pricing is set after that inspection.
Service comes from Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549), a family business; the office confirms appointment times by phone or text. See the Bulverde page and our giant hornet facts page for more.