In the springtime, queens will emerge from overwintering to feed and search for a suitable nesting site. Similar to other social bees and wasps, the northern giant hornet colonies are made up of one queen and non-reproductive female workers. Northern giant hornet are social wasps that build a new nest yearly underground in abandoned rodent burrows or sometimes in dead, hollow trunks or the roots of trees. See the look-a-like section below for common wasps and bees that are found in the area that may be mistaken for the northern giant hornet. It will not be hairy-looking, and the bands on its abdomen will not have droplets or triangle shapes on them. The northern giant hornet has an all-yellow head, a black thorax, and stripes of yellow and dark brown-black on its abdomen. Photo: Allan Smith-Pardo, Invasive Hornets, USDA APHIS PPQ, In the Mid-Atlantic region, there are other species of wasps that are similar in size and may be confused with the northern giant hornet. Workers are about 1.5 inches (3.5 cm) in length and can be found foraging outside the nest spring through fall. The queens, which are only found outside the nest in the spring, are about ~ 2.25 inches (5.5 cm) in length. The northern giant hornet is the largest hornet species in the world. As of 2021, four Northern giant hornet nests were found in Whatcom County, Washington. The northern giant hornet builds its nest underground, which makes locating and removing the nest a challenge. Washington has set up a baited trap system for surveying populations of this pest. It is native to Asia but was found in British Columbia, Canada, and Washington State in the fall and winter of 2019. The most common ones are the European hornet, bald-faced hornet, and cicada killer wasp. The northern giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) has not been found in the Mid-Atlantic region however, there are many other species of large wasps that are found in this area.
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