We’re finally over the summer hump and it’s time that everyone can now breathe a big sigh of relief.  It’s so refreshing to walk out of the house in the mornings and feel the ever so slight hint that fall is right around the corner.  But it was, most definitely, a very busy summer for most since pest pressures seemed to be at an all-time high and continue to be persistent as we move into fall.

The IPMA board of directors hosted a mid-summer half day pest conference in Boise back in July.  We had approximately 25 people in attendance with four hours of very informative presentations covering spider control strategies, rodent control options, pesticide formulation differences and a rules and requirements update from ISDA.  I think we all feel that, even though we just had 25 people, this was a successful event and one that we will, most likely, continue in the years to come.  We want to provide to the membership as many opportunities, as possible, to obtain CEU’s and we felt like an afternoon in the middle of summer might be a good excuse to beat the heat and knock out four hours.  

Another opportunity to obtain CEU’s is fast approaching.  Our fall/winter Pest Expo will be moving to November this year.  It will be held, once again, at the Galaxy Event Center in Meridian on November 19^th and 20^th and on November 21^st in Twin Falls at the Canyon Crest Event Center.  Ben Miller is currently working on an all-star lineup of speakers so plan ahead and get those dates added to your calendar. Conference registration information will be coming soon so keep an eye out for that.

We’re continuing to follow the proposed legislation against neonicotinoid insecticides with our west coast states.  In addition to Nevada, who has already banned neonics completely inoutdoor/landscape applications, Washington has passed a law with modified, more restrictiveregulations for outdoor uses.  It basically limits the amount of product one can use in a season along with the number of applications allowed.  California has had proposed legislation in front of their legislatures for a few years now but can’t get anything to pass, as of yet.  There will be revised proposal coming back in 2025.  We’re hoping the delays in California will continue since this is a very important group of insecticides that we all rely on very heavy.  I think we have some time here in Idaho but the more surrounding states to Idaho that have passed legislation makes it more and more difficult to fight when the time does come.  

The California legislature is also at the forefront leading the fight to ban all first generation rodenticides such as Warfarin, Chlorophacinone, and Diphacinone.  They banned all second generation rodenticides several years ago so the amount of effective products to control rodents is fastly disappearing.  This proposal to ban first generation products will be a long hard fight for our industry leaders.  More to come on that over the next year.

Hope to see you all at the November conference! Have a great fall.

Sincerely,

Pat Sherer

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE CREDITS!

Conferences provide a dynamic platform for networking, learning, and staying ahead in your industry. From gaining valuable insights from industry experts to forging meaningful connections with like-minded professionals, conferences offer an unparalleled experience.

Conferences can help you advance your career by providing opportunities to learn new skills and techniques, and improve your professional knowledge. This can lead to promotions and more responsibilities. 

Register for Idaho Pest Expo in Meridian

Register for IPMA Education Day in Twin Falls

 

It’s not just about credits!

Conferences provide a dynamic platform for networking, learning, and staying ahead in your industry. From gaining valuable insights from industry experts to forging meaningful connections with like-minded professionals, conferences offer an unparalleled experience. 

Conferences can help you advance your career by providing opportunities to learn new skills and techniques, and improve your professional knowledge. This can lead to promotions and more responsibilitiesIt’s not just about credits!

Conferences provide a dynamic platform for networking, learning, and staying ahead in your industry. From gaining valuable insights from industry experts to forging meaningful connections with like-minded professionals, conferences offer an unparalleled experience. 

Conferences can help you advance your career by providing opportunities to learn new skills and techniques, and improve your professional knowledge. This can lead to promotions and more responsibilities

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday season.  Now that January is upon us it looks like winter is finally setting in.  Thank you to all who attended the Idaho Pest Expo last month at the Galaxy Event Center in Meridian and the Canyon Crest Event Center in Twin Falls.  Ben Miller put together an excellent lineup of speakers for everyone to enjoy and hopefully learn a few things in the process.  The attendance at each of the locations was excellent and we hope everyone felt it was well worth their time to attend. 

The Idaho Department of Ag has published the final document for the Administrative Rules Bulletin that will go in front of the legislature for vote in the upcoming months. The board has been involved in several meetings with our Idaho Department of Agriculture over this past year and offered our input with several rule changes that are being proposed and assisted with how that language reads. The Department of Ag has been very open to industry input throughout this entire process and we thank them for their acceptance of these proposals. These rules will directly affect all pesticide applicators, hopefully for the better.  Some of the rule changes involve pesticide credit requirements, re-organization of categories by merging/combining similar categories into one, changes to the Apprentice Program, and elimination of waiting period between tests.  In addition to the rule changes, they are also still in the process of producing training videos on the different urban categories for people to use as they’re studying to pass exams.  They were hoping to have the first few videos released already but that’s currently delayed due to several exams being compromised, which means they’re having to spend a significant amount of time rewriting those tests.  Hopefully we will see the first few videos this spring.

The IPMA Board is still monitoring the progression of the new EPA guidelines on the use of rodenticides.  The National Pest Management Association is fighting with the EPA on some of the verbiage and other issues at hand and once all that gets settled the EPA should release a final draft for us to review. More to come in the months ahead.

Lastly, I just want to thank everyone for choosing to be a member of this association.  Pesticide regulation is a huge focus for us and we’re lucky to live where we live, but we will forever face the challenges that go along with such a hotly contested industry.  We are surrounded by states that are regulating our industry to the max and Idaho will continue to be pressured to follow suit.  We, as a board, will continue to fight for the “common sense” approach to regulation and try to eliminate the over-reaches from our government.  We need your help, though. This is a strength in numbers association and the more people and businesses that belong, the stronger and louder our word becomes.  Please encourage any friends and colleagues that have not yet become a member to join our group.  It is a small price to pay to support such a great industry.

Sincerely,

Pat Sherer

Hello IPMA Members,

Finally spring has sprung!  It’s been a rough start to 2023.  Currently we’re about 26-28 days behind the norm as far as heat units go.  We’ll see if pest pressures follow suit of if things will get back on track with normal timings through late spring and in to summer.

Several members of the IPMA Board of Directors met with the Department of Ag on March 14 to discuss several concerns regarding licensing and training.  I think we all walked away from that meeting feeling assured that the Dept. of Ag feels the urgency to get employees licensed and have already made big strides to correct some of the issues at hand.  We learned that they are planning on releasing training videos by summer 2023 for all of the urban pest categories.  They have already implemented in-person training days that are being taught in Spanish and hopes to have Spanish training videos released in the not so distant future.  ISDA is also working on a rule change that would eliminate or significantly reduce the 1 week waiting period on test retakes.  Like I said, this is a rule change with the state so this will take a little time to go through the process of getting the rule changed.  Another rule change that will be in the works for next year is adjusting the expiration date on the Apprentice License from December 31^st of the year it was issued to one full calendar year from date of issuance.  We also learned that paying the licensing fees with a credit card can slow the entire process of getting your license by several days.  The Department suggests paying with checks and in person (versus mail) can possibly save you 4-5 days of waiting.  These are all major steps in the right direction to help make the process of getting employees licensed more efficient and streamlined.

As I mentioned back in my December article, we have been continually monitoring the progression of House Bill 7266 which was written to make preemption the law in all 50 states.  This would eliminate the possibility of individual counties, cities and towns from making their own laws with regards to pesticides. Well, good news and bad news.  The bad news is HB7266 has been killed since the congressman that introduced the bill did not get re-elected.  The good news is this has now become part of the Farm Bill which will be negotiated later this summer.  Preemption is already working in 44 of 50 states and we would like to have this in place with all 50 states soon since there is a big push by the environmental groups to get rid of this law and allow each municipality to regulate pesticides as they see fit.  IPMA will continue to fight for and support preemption and the basis of one set of rules, set at State level, and administered by the Department of Ag on behalf of the EPA.

We are also following the progression of the new legislation being proposed surrounding the use of rodenticides.  In the near future, it looks like most rodenticides will be classified as “restricted use” pesticides, which means the applicator must be licensed in that particular category to apply.  Rubber gloves will also be required to apply rodenticides but the thickness of the gloves is up for debate.  Respirators will, most likely, not be required when making applications and the daily removal of dead rodents probably won’t be required at this point in time.  California is at the forefront on rodenticide bans but so far, none of this legislation has been approved.

I hope you all have a safe and prosperous summer and hope you’re able to take a little time out of the busy schedule and mix in a little personal time.

Sincerely,

Pat Sherer

IPMA members can now save at the pump!

Get .06 cents off per gallon of fuel, including diesel at Maverik gas stations with your membership!

For more information you can call the association representative Ronald Perry 801-725-9669 and Maverik Flyer.pdf or email Ronald.Perry@maverik.com

**YOU MUST MENTION THAT YOU ARE A MEMBER OF IPMA IN YOUR CORRESPONDENCE**

The Most Dangerous Creature in the World Will Return to Idaho Soon!

You might be surprised that the most dangerous creature on earth can be found in Idaho. They’re not large. They’re not ferocious. But they are about to be active again across the state.
The creatures we are talking about are mosquitoes. According to the Ada County Mosquito Abatement District (ACMAD), there are about 175 species of mosquitoes in the United States and 50 of those species call our region of Idaho home. These creepy crawlies really like temperatures above 80 degrees, but will come out of hibernation once temperatures get above 50.

This article brought to you by NewsBreak Idaho Falls, Michelle Heart. Photo by Mikeal Seegen on Unsplash 

Mosquitoes Are the Deadliest Creatures In the World

It’s estimated that mosquitoes are responsible for at least 700,000 deaths a year and it’s because they are carriers of all sorts of nasty diseases that can be transmitted to humans. Malaria, Zika and West Nile Virus, just to name a few. According to Pfizer, 600,000 of those deaths are due to Malaria. 
While you don't hear of people contracting Malaria or Zika in Idaho, West Nile Virus is in the news every summer.  The ACMAD explains that the virus was first detected in Ada County in 2005 and the following year, we led the nation in the most reported cases.

According to the CDC, 8 out of 10 people who contract the West Nile virus will likely be unaware of it.  Some may experience unpleasant sysptoms like fever, vomiting/diarrhea and fatigue.  About 1 in 150 will develop symptoms that can affect the central nervouse system.  We're talking about things like encephalitis or meningitis.  Those who develop nervous system symptoms could die.

CDC data shows that Idaho has reported 1,403 human cases of West Nile Virus since 1999. 250 of those have been neuroinvasive. Idaho’s most recent West Nile Virus death was in 2021. The man contracted the virus in Ada County.

This spring has been annoyingly cool, but according to Mosquito Max mosquito season in the lower half of Idaho begins in late April, which is right around the corner.

Not all mosquitoes are West Nile vectors. ACMAD says six species in our area are and two of them are primary vectors. 

Japanese Beetles in Idaho

Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) are highly invasive pests of more than 300 plants including some of Idaho's top commodities.

Identifying Japanese Beetles

• Japanese beetles are ½ to ¾ inch long. Front of body is shiny metallic green. Wing cases are coppery. Body has 5 white tufts of hair along each side.
• Adult beetles feed on the upper leaf surface, removing leaf tissue and releasing an aggregation pheromone that attracts additional beetles to the potential food source.
• Manifested as skeletonized leaves with large, irregular holes, adults will move to devour flowers and fruits.
• Evidence of grub (beetle larva) are often unnoticed until populations build up to levels of sufficient to kill grass roots. Evidence of damage is seen when localized discolored patches appear.
• Attracted to some of Idaho's top commodities including hops, grapes, apples, stone fruits, vegetable crops, and nursery stock.

Photo Source: David Cappaert, Bugwood.org/(japanese beetle damage) Lynette Elliot, Creative Commons, Bugguide.net/ (japanese beetle)

DID YOU KNOW...

If you have an employee who takes the pesticide exam at Metro and passes, he can take the results to ISDA with a copy of his companies insurance, fill out an application, pay with a check (no credit cards), and he can

GET HIS LICENSE IN TWO DAYS!

Private *  Professional Agriculture *  Professional Ornamental

The University of Idaho Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program will be offering pre-license trainings ONLINE. Each training consists of a four-day agenda with topics divided into 2.5-hour sessions twice daily. These are live trainings and require computer or smart tablet with internet access. Students register for one of the weeklong training sessions:

April 3 – 6, 2023, daily at 9 am – 11:30 am AND 1:30 pm – 4 pm MST

Each training offers the following listed sections:
Class preparation & applicator categories

• Idaho pesticide law & regulations
  
• Pesticide labels & activity
  
• Pesticide math & activity
  
• Weed identification & management
  
• Insect identification & management
  
• Plant disease identification & management
  
• General pest management
  
• Rodent control management
  

Practice exam

Includes access to online modules and study materials housed on the Extension Foundation course site. These materials prepare students for this training and the statewide exams. ALL materials will be available after registration and students will have continued access until three weeks after class.

This educational training is $50 per student. To register*, visit our website https://www.uidaho.edu/extension/ipm. OR simply use the QR code, with your smart tablet or phone camera, to go directly to the university Marketplace.

*The deadline to register is the Wednesday, March 29th. Trainings are subject to cancellation due to low enrollment.

For more information contact:

Ronda Hirnyck, Extension Pesticide Coordinator by email at rhirnyck@uidaho.edu or call (208) 364-4046

Kimberly Tate, Associate Extension Instructor by email at ktate@uidaho.edu or call (208) 364-4581

IPMA President’s Message

Our December 2022 Pest Expo and Twin Falls Education day were very well attended and I want to thank all who participated!  

One of the topics was Paul Castrovillo’s update on the Emerald Ash Borer.  As most of you know, the Emerald Ash Borer has recently been found west of the Rocky Mountains.  In June it was spotted in a park in Forest Grove, OR.  Oregon Department of Ag has been working diligently with monitoring as well as working with a biocontrol to help eradicate the population.  This pest has been devastating to trees in other parts of the country and is something that we’ll have to keep a close watch for here in Idaho.

We did learn of some good news for our industry.  On September 28^th, California governor, Gavin Newsom, vetoed House Bill 2146, which would’ve prohibited the use of all neonicotinoid pesticides for all non-agricultural uses. Newsom stated that the California Department of Pesticide Regulation has already taken significant steps to restrict neonicotinoid uses, based on scientific review and documented uses that pose the greatest risk to pollinators and human health. It is great to see the governor defend the authority of the department and stand behind their findings and opinions.  I know this was very concerning to our industry as a whole and that it got all the way to the governor’s desk was very frustrating to thousands of people but hopefully this ruling will slow the momentum a little bit with states wanting to take quick action and not understanding the science behind the product.

We are also still monitoring the progression of H.R. Bill 7266 which was introduced this past March. If passed, this bill would amend FIFRA to prohibit local regulation of pesticide use.  This is one we must all stand behind and show our support for.  The bill is currently under review with the US House of Representatives Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research sub-committee.  More to come on this one.

I hope you all get a little bit of rest and relaxation before the start of the new season! 

Sincerely,

Pat Sherer

National Updates

Larry Treleven, IPMA Board of Director, Sprague 
The Environmental Protection Agency reviews pesticide labels every 15 years to make sure that they are relevant, effective, and meet the guidelines established by the Agency.  The big focus this year are rodenticides. The State of California passed a law severely restricting the usage of second generation rodenticides.  Since that time, other States have been considering other restrictions of these products and materials. Both at the professional level and in retail stores as well. An anti-rodenticide group has formed under the title of RATS which is Raptors are the Solution – not baits!  Obviously birds of prey are not a solution to control rodents.

There are other restrictions being considered by the EPA as well such as requiring second and third trips to a facility to retrieve any dead carcases which would significantly increase the pricing for these services.  Another label change by the Agency – EPA – is to require technicians to wear gloves when handling rodenticides and NPMA was supportive of this change, but the NPMA is NOT in favor of requiring technicians to wear respirators performing rodent control services. 

Representing the Pest Management Industry is the well-respected Jim Fredericks, PhD, who has spoken at previous Conferences that we have had in Boise.  Dr Fredericks is the “point guard” for both the manufacturers, the retail industry, and the pest management operators.  Death from hanta-virus deaths from field mouse infestations were pushing this legislation.  Idaho has had some deaths from these infestations in the past.  EPA promised the draft recommendations to be released last Spring and then delayed it until August.  It is now promised by the end of the year and IPMA will update our membership once we have some drafts to share.

Several states are introducing Bills that would limit various pesticides from usage inside their boundaries.  The primary challenge came from the State of California.  Their Bill passed both Houses in the Sacramento Legislature and sat on the Governors desk for his signature.  But Governor Newsom considered the fact that he had an agency the regulated pesticides in the State of California and did not want legislators to usurp their authority and vetoed this Bill.  Other States are considering similar legislative action as well.  But the veto in California may help to curb future political activity of this nature.

Preemption is the rule of the land with regard to pesticide regulations being administered by the various states with the EPS’s approval in the various Department of Agriculture at the state level. This procedure is in place for 44 of the 50 States.  The National Pest Management Association, under the direction of their Public Affairs Committee, did get a Bill entered to make this the normal way to enforce pesticide regulations Nationwide. Our bill was sponsored by Congressman Rodney Davis and we were successful in  getting other members of congress to sign on in support.  But Congressman Davis lost his seat in the last election cycle.  So now we have this same language in the Farm Bill which Congress will deal with in 2023 .  We will keep all of you updated on our progress in the future.  Have a great spring season.

Dates and locations have been chosen for the 2022 Idaho Pest Expo & Twin Falls Education. BOTH are live events!

December 6-7th at the Galaxy Event Center in Nampa

December 8th at Canyon Crest Event Center, Twin Falls

IPMA President’s Message

Well, we’re almost halfway through 2022 and it still seems like we are barely sqeaking by.  With the supply chain still trying to untangle itself and inflated costs on pretty much every aspect of our businesses, it makes you wonder how we made it this far.  I’m sure you’ve all figured out by now how important it is to plan way ahead for your business needs.  There was a time not so long ago that you could order product and have it within a day or so.  In today’s world, we’re all having to plan 4-6 months ahead and get product secured so we have it when we need it. Hopefully as we roll into fall and winter we will see some relaxation on the supply chain constraints and things begin to flow a little better.  I guess if any good has come out of this turbulent time, maybe we’re all a little better at planning ahead instead of procrastinating.

Speaking of planning, the IPMA Board of Directors are busy with all the preliminary planning for our annual Pest Expo.  We’re all keeping our fingers crossed that we can finally meet up again in person for this outstanding event.  The last two conferences have been online and have been very successful but it’s hard to replace all the benefits that come from being in person and face to face with your peers.  What a great networking opportunity for us all!

Our Board is also closely following the progress of H.R. Bill 7266 which has been referred to the US House of Representatives Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research sub-committee for review. As some of you may have heard, H.R. 7266 is a bill to amend FIFRA to prohibit local regulation of pesticide use. This is a good thing and unanimously supported by over 160 organizations, just like ours, across the country. It was a bill that was introduced last year by Illinois Representative Rodney Davis in response to another bill introduced in the Senate (S.3283) back in 2021.  Senate Bill 3283, as proposed, would take away the EPA’s authority of FIFRA.  It would allow for pesticide laws to be developed at city and county levels by individuals that know nothing about the science behind the chemicals and fertilizers that we use on a day to day basis and the safety protocols that are already in place, based on scientific research, to protect the public.  If S. 3283 passed, it would also mean that applicator licensing and product registrations could go to the city/county level versus state level where it is now.  We could see certain pesticide bans from city to city without any scientific justification.  This would be disastrous to our businesses and industry as a whole.  We’re very hopeful that the House sub-committee will do their due diligence and recommend the passing of 7266 so we don’t have to deal with these situations again.

Our board is also closely monitoring the developments in certain states regarding the ban of neonicotinoid insecticides.  Rhode Island just passed a bill banning the outdoor use of neonics in the state and would also require applicators to be directly supervised, on-site, by certified licensed applicators for indoor applications.  Delaware is currently holding hearings on a bill introduced in their state for a ban on outdoor applications and California is in the final stages on passing their own bill banning the neonics.  With all of these cases at the forefront, we, as licensed applicators, need to be more cautious as ever on how and when we apply any pesticide and make sure we’re well within the boundaries of the law and label.  It only takes one catastrophic event to push this legislation along at an even faster pace with more states jumping on board in the process.

In closing, I’m sure most of you have figured this out but I can’t stress enough how important good communication is with your customers, employees, peers, and vendors especially in tough times like we’re in right now.  Staying current on supply chains, new laws, pricing trends, etc. will allow you to make educated decisions ahead of the curve and communicate with confidence the business decisions you make with the people that matter.

I hope you all have a productive summer and can manage to take some time off to slow down, unwind and relax with family and friends. Be Safe!

 

Message from the President

Pat Sherer

ISDA has a new page on their website dedicated to in person training sessions with exams offered.

Here is the link that has more info and a registration link. Class is free with the exception of $10 for the exam.

This webpage will list future trainings.

https://agri.idaho.gov/main/isda-trainings-events/

  

The Beebe's

We are sorry to hear of the loss of two individuals that were both long time Operators in Boise and Mountain Home.

Jack (Gene) Beebe Jr. passed away suddenly on June 3rd. He spent many years growing his successful business, PestPro and TurfPro. He was active in the IPMA attending all the conferences and offering to help where he could. 

Jack Eugene Beebe Sr. passed away peacefully under the care of his family on June 23rd. He owned Custom Services for 39 years before retiring.  Jack Sr. was one of the original members of the Professional Pesticide Applicators of Idaho, now the Idaho Pest Management Association.

Jack Sr. and Jack Jr. spent most weekends togethering tinkering, cheering on the Denver Broncos and enjoying each other's company.

If you would like to contribute an article (or share one that you have read) for this newsletter please submit to abates@idpma.org.

We are always looking for subject matter that interests our readers. Please feel free to send us a topic that you would like to know more about. 

Invasive Emerald Ash Borer Discovered in Oregon

Oregon Department of Agriculture announced July 11, 2022, that the invasive pest known as the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has been discovered in Forest Grove, Oregon.

This destructive bug has completely devastated ash tree populations all over the Eastern and Midwestern United States. Prior to this discovery, the insect was only thought to have made it as far west as Colorado.

Please see the link to the Oregon News Release here.

Idaho Department of Lands’ Urban and Community Forestry Program and Forest Health Program in collaboration with Idaho State Department of Agriculture, and United State Forest Service have been putting on Preparedness Workshops throughout Idaho. 

The goal is to help arborists, professional applicators, city foresters, and parks and recreation officials become more familiar with and to learn how to develop a plan for managing and minimizing the damage that is sure to follow the arrival of this invasive and destructive pest.

It is now time to turn up the volume on the awareness and work together to do everything we can to be prepared.

The Urban and Community Forestry Program Manager is also developing a “Preparedness and Response Plan Template” that will provide cities with a “fill in the blank” document they can use to kickstart a management plan for their own communities.

Here are some details about the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB):

EAB attacks and kills Ash trees (Fraxinus spp.)
Preferred hosts in our region:

Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)

White Ash (Fraxinus americana) 

Adult beetles feed on leaves with this initial insignificant damage easily going undetected as symptoms only show in the upper mid canopy

Larvae are the most destructive stage of the pest, feeding in the cambium layer and 1 to 2-year-old xylem (sapwood) just under the bark of trees, forming ‘S’ shaped galleries

Larvae have 10 distinct “bell” shaped segments, and a “flat head”

Upon emerging from the trees, the adults leave a ‘D’ shaped exit hole.

Infested trees can be recognized by a “thinning canopy” with epicormic sprouting (suckers).

Woodpecker damage often accompanies the infestation as the birds flake off bark looking to feed on the larvae

Photos clockwise from upper left:

•  A thinning crown and epicormic sprouting are signs of a potential infestation,
  
• Woodpecker damage along the trunks of trees as the birds flake off the bark in their pursuit to feed on the larvae under the bark.
  
• Example of the "S" shaped galleries the larvae create while feeding in the cambium layer underneath the bark.
  
• Larvae vary in size depending on their age, but the "bell" shaped segments are characteristic of the EAB.
  
• Shiny green wing cases of the adults (known as the "elytra"), and underneath, the dorsal side of the abdomen exhibits a bright coppery red color.
  

IDL will host more training workshops to help with awareness across Idaho. Please be watching for more information about upcoming workshops.

To report suspected EAB contact one of the following:

Idaho State Department of Agriculture
Pest Survey and Detection Manager: 208-332-8620
USDA-APHIS
State Plant Health Director: 208-373-1600
Idaho Department of Lands
Forest Health Program Manager: 208-666-8668
USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection
Boise Field Office: 208-373-4227

For more information about the Emerald Ash Borer visit: Emerald Ash Borer Information Network

Let’s Get the Straight Facts about Asian Giant Hornet 

Asian Giant Hornet (aka the Murder Hornet aka Vespa mandarinia) has been all over the news lately. Many people, suddenly aware of it, believe they have seen one. While not impossible, the odds, at this point in time are very slim. Most AGH reports, once investigated, turn out to be a case of mistaken identity where a native insect that looks somewhat similar to AGH has been confused with the potential pest of concern.

What is it? AGH is one of the largest species of hornets in the world. It is a social wasp (builds a nest containing up to several hundred individuals) and is related to our locally encountered yellowjackets and paper wasps which may behave similarly.

Where is it found? Many are found in Asia, where it is native and a natural part of the ecosystem. It is routinely observed in Japan and Korea, but also lives in parts of China, Russia, Taiwan, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka. Even though though recent attention may lead one to believe many have been encountered in North America, to date only a total of 4 reports have been confirmed – all just last year in 2019: this includes a single specimen in White Rock and one nest (which was destroyed) in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada (in Sept) and two individual hornets in Blaine, Washington, USA (in Dec).

What does it look like? It is large (1.5-2 inches long). Bright yellow, smooth head with large black eyes. Thorax solid black with two yellow crescents.

What is its typical behavior? Solitary queens hibernate in protected areas throughout the winter. During April/May they come out to feed (usually on carbohydrates like tree sap) and to locate a nest site. They prefer to nest in low mountain foothills and lowland forests usually in abandoned rodent burrows, often associated with rotting pine roots. Nests are underground – if you think you are seeing them in a nest in a tree, on a building, etc. you are not seeing AGH. A queen rears the original batch of workers who, by July take over nest construction, brood-rearing, food collection and colony defense. Foraging is mostly done by individual hornets until late summer/early fall when they begin hunting in “packs” to attack honey bee hives which, once subdued, are a good food source for new AGH queens and males that are being produced. AGH are typically not very aggressive unless they feel threatened. This might occur if you are near the entrance to their nest or near a bee hive they are attacking or have conquered – while they are in their bee-slaughter “frenzy”.

What is the danger associated with AGH? If feeling threatened, they can use their large stinger to administer a powerful venom. The sting is very painful and may cause skin necrosis. Each hornet can sting multiple times and they will work together to fight a perceived enemy. Multiple stings can lead to organ failure. Mass hornet attacks are very rare (even in countries where they are native), but can occur and in extreme cases they can cripple or kill their victims.

What is being done to deal with AGH? Remember that, at this point in time, less than a half dozen AGH reports have ever been confirmed in North America (only 2 in the US). However, most Dept of Ag offices, Extension offices and similar organizations are fielding calls and evaluating photographs and specimens from people who believe they may have encountered AGH to determine whether or not they’ve mistaken a native insect for AGH or uncovered evidence of a potential newly-discovered AGH population. Trapping programs to possibly attract and detect AGH are being set up in some locations where people are concerned and resources for a trapping program are available.