Saw a Giant Hornet in New Braunfels? What It Most Likely Is
If you saw a huge wasp in New Braunfels and thought "murder hornet," you almost certainly met a cicada killer, a tarantula hawk or an oversized yellowjacket queen. The Asian giant hornet, now called the northern giant hornet, has never been found in Texas and has been declared eradicated from the United States. The first move is to take a photo from a few steps back and compare it with the list below; if the real insect has a nest near your house, call or text (210) 281-1064 or book online.
The short answer: not here, and not in Texas #
TAIS states that the hornet does not exist in Texas (TAIS), and Texas A&M AgriLife reported in 2020 that there were no confirmed reports anywhere in the U.S. outside the Pacific Northwest, Texas included. In North America it was only ever detected in British Columbia and Whatcom County, Washington. On December 18, 2024, after three years with no confirmed detections, Washington's agriculture department and the USDA declared it eradicated from the country (WSDA).
AgriLife adds that Texas doesn't seem to be ideal habitat for it.
Summer on the river is cicada killer season #
Back in 2020, AgriLife's Insects in the City predicted that cicada killers would stir special fear that summer, and the pattern makes sense here. Summer is river season in New Braunfels; the city posts lifeguards at the City Tube Chute on the Comal River during those months (City of New Braunfels). That is the same season the cicada killer, a native wasp up to about 1 1/2 inches long, digs its burrows in sunny, bare soil.
AgriLife names the cicada killer as the insect most often mistaken for the giant hornet. A few quick differences: its head is narrower than its thorax, it nests in dime- to quarter-size holes in the ground, males have no stinger, and females rarely sting. Our page on cicada killers in New Braunfels covers when they need attention, which is not often.
The look-alike lineup #
| What you saw | Likely insect | Key signs |
|---|---|---|
| Huge wasp hovering over the lawn in summer | Cicada killer | Reddish head and thorax, black-and-yellow abdomen, holes in bare soil |
| Glossy blue-black wasp with orange wings | Tarantula hawk | Up to 2 inches, on flowers or dragging a spider |
| Very big orange wasp near a ground hole | Yellowjacket queen | Much larger than the 1/2-inch black-and-yellow workers |
| Black-and-white wasps at a gray paper ball | Baldfaced hornet | 3/4 inch, nest in a tree or under an eave |
| Hornet-colored insect with a thick, straight body | Pigeon horntail | No pinched waist, cannot sting |
| Large, fuzzy or shiny black bee | Bumble or carpenter bee | About 3/4 inch, visits flowers or bores into wood |
For contrast, the real northern giant hornet is 1.5 to 2 inches long with a bright orange or yellow head as wide as its shoulders, a dark brown thorax and a pinched waist.
Rocky ground and the orange-winged wasp #
Another big wasp that gets mistaken for it is the tarantula hawk. The Edwards Aquifer Authority's rules describe the local recharge zone as ground with caves, sinkholes, faults and fractures, and AgriLife links tarantulas, the wasp's prey, with rockier parts of Central Texas. A gleaming black wasp with orange wings dragging a tarantula across a limestone path is startling, but it is a calm nectar-feeder that stings only when grabbed. See tarantula hawks in New Braunfels.
How to report a suspected sighting #
- Photograph the insect from a distance, with something nearby for scale if you can.
- Submit the photo through the Texas A&M Entomology insect identification form, which is the route TAIS names.
- If you believe a hornet is attacking a honey bee hive, contact TAIS at 979-321-5827 or [email protected].
- Washington's agriculture department only takes reports from Washington, so Texas sightings go to Texas A&M.
What not to do #
- Don't kill cicada killers out of fear. AgriLife says control is rarely warranted for this otherwise useful insect.
- Don't swat at large wasps or try to catch them by hand.
How Pest Trappers can help in New Braunfels #
A technician can confirm what you actually saw and whether it has a nest that needs treatment. A yellowjacket colony in the lawn or a hornet nest over a doorway may call for it; a cicada killer burrow or a passing tarantula hawk usually does not. Any treatment follows the product label, and pricing comes after the inspection. Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549) is family-owned and licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture; the office confirms your visit time. See the giant hornet guide and our New Braunfels page.