Murder hornet discovered on Guam

Another invasive hornet recently made its way to Guam's shores. An adult northern giant hornet was discovered aboard a shipping vessel that departed from Japan.

The notorious hornet, also known as the murder hornet for its aggressive behavior and venomous sting, did not survive the trip.

Guam's State Entomologist, Christopher Rosario, said the Department of Agriculture received the call on October 18th when a Environmental Safety Compliance Specialist from Guam Port Authority reported the dead hornet.

“Obviously when a ship comes in, you also have to wait for customs and quarantine. So customs and quarantine had collected the sample. Then the Department of Agriculture Biosecurity was notified about 5 to 10 minutes after," Rosario said.

With the hornet measuring at a length of a little over an inch, Rosario suspects it to be a hibernating queen.

Authorities did not find a nest aboard the ship.

“Fortunately when we did our inspections, we did not find a nest on the ship, which is good. Chances are, it could have been either a worker or in this case a hibernating queen. And what does a hibernating queen mean? Essentially the queen can act as a lone insect, a solitary insect, and can hide inside of a whole or container building her nest.”

It’s not the first time an invasive hornet made its way here. The Greater Banded Hornet made its home on Guam back in 2016. Rosario says,

“The greater banded hornet has been established on Guam since 2016. And chances are how it made its way to Guam is probably a container. Ever since this hornet showed up in Guam, this has been a nuisance to the public.”

He added it's a nuisance and threat not just to the people but to local bees.

"A lot of homeowners would get stung by these hornets but even more so, it’s an even more problem for our developing bee industry. So our honey bee industry, basically our bee colonies are getting attacked by this hornet," he said of the greater banded hornets.

It's a threat that the murder hornets are notorious for. These hornets prey on honeybees and can destroy their hives within hours. Their venomous stingers are long enough to pierce a bee keeper's suit and can be fatal.

Residents are urged to be vigilant and report any sightings of these invasive hornets promptly. If you encounter Murder Hornets, you are advised to call the Pest Hotline at 475-PEST.