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Should we be worried about ‘murder hornets?’

1/15
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Karla Salp / Washington State Department of Agriculture via AP

In this April 23, 2020, Chris Looney, a Washington State entomologist, poses with a dead Asian giant hornet attached to his jacket in Blaine, Wash. Dubbed the "Murder Hornet" by some, the Asian giant hornet has a sting that could be fatal to some humans. It is just now starting to emerge from hibernation.
2/15
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Ted S. Warren / Associated Press

A dead Asian giant hornet sent from Japan is held on a pin by Sven Spichiger, an entomologist with the Washington State Department of Agriculture on Monday in Olympia, Wash. The insect, which has been found in Washington state, is the world's largest hornet, and has been dubbed the "Murder Hornet" in reference to its appetite for honey bees, and a sting that can be fatal to some people.
3/15
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Quinlyn Baine / Washington State Department of Agriculture via AP

This Dec. 30, 2019 photo shows a dead Asian giant hornet in a lab in Olympia, Wash.
4/15
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Karla Salp / Washington State Department of Agriculture via AP

In this April 23, 2020, a researcher holds a dead Asian giant hornet in Blaine, Wash.
5/15
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Quinlyn Baine / Washington State Department of Agriculture via AP

This Dec. 30, 2019 photo shows a dead Asian giant hornet in a lab in Olympia, Wash. It is the world's largest hornet, a 2-inch long killer with an appetite for honey bees. Dubbed the "Murder Hornet" by some, the insect has a sting that could be fatal to some humans.
6/15
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Elaine Thompson / Associated Press

Washington State Department of Agriculture entomologist Chris Looney displays a dead Asian giant hornet, bottom, a sample brought in from Japan for research, next to a native bald-faced hornet collected in a trap today in Blaine, Wash.
7/15
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Elaine Thompson / Associated Press

Dead Asian giant hornets, samples brought in from Japan for research, are displayed today in Blaine, Wash. The new Asian hornets that have been found in Washington state may be deadly to honeybees, but bug experts say the Asian giant hornet is not a big threat to people.
8/15
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Elaine Thompson / Associated Press

Washington State Department of Agriculture entomologist Chris Looney displays a suit bought for the department specifically to wear when investigating a possible Asian giant hornet nest today in Blaine, Wash.
9/15
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Elaine Thompson / Associated Press

Washington State Department of Agriculture entomologist Chris Looney displays a trap he retrieved, set in an effort to locate the Asian giant hornet today in Blaine, Wash. The trap only held a couple of native bald-faced hornets.
10/15
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Elaine Thompson / Associated Press

Washington State Department of Agriculture entomologist Chris Looney displays a dead Asian giant hornet, a sample brought in from Japan for research today in Blaine, Wash.
11/15
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Elaine Thompson / Associated Press

Washington State Department of Agriculture entomologist Chris Looney wipes his hands after re-setting a trap in an effort to locate the Asian giant hornet today in Blaine, Wash. None were found.
12/15
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Elaine Thompson / Associated Press

Dead Asian giant hornets, queens lined-up on top and the smaller workers below, all samples brought in from Japan for research, are displayed with a field notebook today in Blaine, Wash.
13/15
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Elaine Thompson / Associated Press

Two native bald-faced hornets sit in a collection container after being found in a trap set in an effort to locate the Asian giant hornet today in Blaine, Wash.
14/15
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Elaine Thompson / Associated Press

Washington State Department of Agriculture entomologist Chris Looney displays a suit bought for the department specifically to wear when investigating a possible Asian giant hornet's nest today in Blaine, Wash.
15/15
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Elaine Thompson / Associated Press

Washington State Department of Agriculture entomologist Chris Looney eyes a trap he retrieved, set in an effort to locate the Asian giant hornet, as he walks with it out of an overgrowth area, today in Blaine, Wash. None were found. The new Asian hornets that have been found in Washington state may be deadly to honeybees, but bug experts say the Asian giant hornet is not a big threat to people.

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