Asian Giant Hornet ('Murder Hornet'): Not in Texas. What Did You See?
No one has ever found the Asian giant hornet in Texas; its official name today is the northern giant hornet. The Texas Apiary Inspection Service says it isn't here, and in December 2024 Washington state and federal officials announced it was gone from the whole country. AgriLife's top suspects for the big wasp in your yard are the cicada killer and the pigeon horntail.
Have a large wasp nesting near your home? Call or text (210) 281-1064, or schedule a visit online, and we'll identify it.
Where the giant hornet actually turned up #
In North America, the hornet was detected only in British Columbia and in Whatcom County, Washington. Four U.S. nests were found, in October 2020 and in August and September 2021, and every one was inside a cavity in an alder tree.
Three years went by without a confirmed detection. Then, on December 18, 2024, the Washington State Department of Agriculture and USDA announced that the species had been wiped out in Washington and across the United States. WSDA still cautions that because it arrived once, it could arrive again.
Texas never had a confirmed case. TAIS puts it simply: the hornet isn't present in Texas, and AgriLife reported in 2020 that there were no confirmed sightings anywhere else in the U.S., Texas included.
Why it has a new name #
The Entomological Society of America switched the common name of Vespa mandarinia to "northern giant hornet" on July 25, 2022. Its reasoning: a label like "Asian" on a pest can stir up anti-Asian feeling without anyone intending it, and neither of the popular names fit the society's rules for common names. Washington's agriculture department and USDA have both switched. We mention the older names only so people searching for them land on accurate information.
The real hornet, for comparison #
AgriLife's description runs like this: a body measuring 1.5 to 2 inches; a head colored bright orange or yellow and at least as broad as the shoulders behind it; a dark brown thorax; and a narrow, pinched waist. Insects in the City adds that its yellow-orange head and heavier build set it apart from even our largest native wasps.
Likely suspects in a Texas yard #
AgriLife's 2020 article, "It's big, but it's not a 'murder hornet'," points to cicada killers and pigeon horntails as the usual culprits. Others that get reported:
| Insect | Size per AgriLife and TPW sources | What gives it away |
|---|---|---|
| Cicada killer | 1 to 1.5 in | Russet wings, head and thorax dark red, black abdomen banded in yellow; burrows in sandy soil |
| Pigeon horntail | Large | Hornet colors but no visible waist; cannot sting |
| Yellowjacket queen | Far bigger than 1/2-in workers | Very large and mostly orange |
| Baldfaced hornet | 3/4 in | White markings on a black body |
| Tarantula hawk | Up to 2 in | Iridescent blue-black body; metallic black, orange or red wings |
| Bumble bee or carpenter bee | About 3/4 in | Fuzzy; a carpenter bee's abdomen is shiny |
Washington's look-alike list adds paper wasps and ordinary yellowjacket workers too.
Two of these deserve a closer word. The tarantula hawk, which TPW Magazine puts at up to 2 inches, matches the giant hornet for length, but its shimmering blue-black body and colored wings look nothing like an orange-headed hornet. And a yellowjacket queen can seem shockingly large next to her half-inch workers. AgriLife's field guide describes her as very large and mostly orange, which is exactly the kind of insect that gets mistaken for something exotic.
The head test: cicada killer or giant hornet? #
Since AgriLife names the cicada killer as a top look-alike, three differences are worth knowing:
- Head width: on a cicada killer, AgriLife says, the head is slimmer than the thorax behind it. The giant hornet's orange-yellow head is as broad as its shoulders or broader.
- Size: cicada killers top out around 1.5 inches; the giant hornet runs 1.5 to 2.
- Nest: cicada killers tunnel into sandy ground, leaving openings from dime to quarter size. Every U.S. giant hornet nest was in a tree cavity.
Cicada killer males can't sting, and AgriLife's B-6118 says females are rarely aggressive.
Could it ever reach Texas? #
AgriLife's entomologists don't think Texas suits it. Insects in the City wrote that Texas doesn't appear to be ideal habitat, and that the hornet would not care for our treeless plains and hot summers. Still, WSDA's reminder stands: a species that got here once could get here again. That's why reporting a credible sighting matters more than worrying about it.
How to report a suspected giant hornet in Texas #
- Keep your distance and don't try to catch or swat it.
- Take the clearest photo you can from a comfortable distance.
- Send it in through Texas A&M's Entomology Insect ID form; that's the route TAIS points to.
- Beekeepers who think a hornet is attacking a hive should reach TAIS directly, by phone at 979-321-5827 or by email at [email protected].
WSDA accepts reports only from Washington, so Texans should go through Texas A&M.
What the real sting is like #
According to WSDA, the giant hornet isn't usually aggressive toward people, but it will sting when handled or defending its nest. Its sting is more dangerous than those of local bees and wasps, and WSDA says ordinary beekeeper clothing isn't enough protection. Insects in the City describes the sting as excruciating and notes that, unlike a honey bee, it can sting over and over.
Leave the cicada killers be #
Cicada killers look alarming, but AgriLife's E-239 bulletin says controlling them is rarely warranted for an otherwise beneficial insect. If the burrows sit right where kids play, talk with us first before reaching for a spray can.
When a look-alike does need a professional #
The look-alikes that build colonies are the ones worth a call: yellowjackets, baldfaced hornets and paper wasps nesting near a door, a walkway or a play area. Insects in the City advises that established yellowjacket and hornet colonies be handled by professionals.
How Pest Trappers handles "murder hornet" calls #
We don't sell giant hornet removal, because the insect isn't here. What we do is figure out what you actually have. Send a photo by text to (210) 281-1064 or book a visit, and a technician will confirm the species and find any nest.
If a look-alike's nest needs attention, you'll hear the options for that insect, and any product used follows its label. Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549) prices each job after the inspection, so call for pricing. Town-by-town notes on what people are really seeing: San Antonio, Fredericksburg, Wimberley and Bulverde.