Saw a Giant Hornet in Wimberley? What It Most Likely Is
Nobody has ever confirmed an Asian giant hornet (its official name is now northern giant hornet) in Texas, and by late 2024 U.S. officials had declared the species wiped out nationwide. That giant wasp in your Wimberley yard is a native insect, and in summer the odds favor a cicada killer burrowing into a sunny patch of lawn. If a big wasp has set up shop where your family spends time, reach us at (210) 281-1064 by call or text, or request a visit online, and identification comes first.
Where things stand with "murder hornets" #
- Texas: according to the Texas Apiary Inspection Service, the hornet currently isn't here at all (TAIS). Back in 2020, AgriLife said there were no confirmed reports anywhere else in the U.S., Texas included.
- The U.S.: the only North American detections were in British Columbia and Whatcom County, Washington. Three straight years without a confirmed find led WSDA and USDA to announce eradication on 12/18/2024 (WSDA). WSDA still warns that a hornet that got in once could get in again.
- The name: the Entomological Society of America switched to "northern giant hornet" in mid-2022, saying a geographic label like "Asian" on a pest risks stoking anti-Asian bias.
Summer in Wimberley is cicada killer season #
AgriLife names the cicada killer first among the insects Texans confuse with the giant hornet, and it is a summer wasp: AgriLife's B-6118 says the adults come out in summer and dig fresh burrows. That is the same stretch of the year when Wimberley families are outdoors the most; Blue Hole Regional Park's swim season, for example, runs from May 1 through Labor Day (Wimberley Parks & Rec). More time in yards and on porches means more chances to spot a 1 1/2-inch wasp cruising low over the grass.
Telling the real thing from local look-alikes #
| Insect | Size and look | Where you'd see it |
|---|---|---|
| Northern giant hornet (not in Texas) | 1.5 to 2 in, wide orange-yellow head, dark brown thorax | U.S. finds were in tree cavities in Washington |
| Cicada killer | 1 to 1.5 in, dark red head and thorax, black and yellow abdomen, amber wings, head narrower than thorax | Burrows the width of a dime or quarter in sunny, sandy ground |
| Pigeon horntail | Large, hornet-colored, no pinched waist, cannot sting | Resting on wood or trees |
| Yellowjacket queen | Much larger than workers, mostly orange | Spring, searching for a nest site |
| Tarantula hawk | Up to 2 in, shiny blue-black, wings orange, red or black | Flowers and open ground |
| Baldfaced hornet | About 3/4 in, black and ivory | Hanging gray paper nest, usually high |
Bumble bees and carpenter bees, both fuzzy and around 3/4 inch, get reported too. For the local pages, see cicada killers, tarantula hawks and yellowjackets.
Wimberley, Woodcreek or county land: reporting a suspect #
The 78676 ZIP takes in Wimberley, Woodcreek and a good deal of county land. The steps are the same everywhere in it:
- Photograph the insect from a distance. Don't try to catch it.
- Send it in on Texas A&M Entomology's online insect ID form; that is where TAIS points people.
- Beekeepers who think a hive is under attack can phone TAIS (979-321-5827) or email [email protected].
Washington's reporting system takes Washington sightings only, so it is not the place for a Texas report.
What to do about the real culprit #
- Leave cicada killers be when you can. AgriLife says controlling them is rarely warranted, since they hunt cicadas. Males cannot sting, and females seldom do unless handled or stepped on barefoot.
- Wear shoes on a lawn with burrows.
- Treat social wasp nests near people seriously. AgriLife advises that established yellowjacket and hornet colonies be handled by professionals.
How Pest Trappers helps after a scary sighting #
The technician identifies what you saw from your photo or on the property, then tells you whether it needs anything at all. Many big solitary wasps don't. When there is a nest near a door, a play area or a wall, you hear the treatment options, the product label is followed, and you get a price once the property has been seen. Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549) works under a Texas Department of Agriculture license. Read the giant hornet guide for more, or see what else we handle on the Wimberley page.