OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The pandemic is just one reason that many will remember 2020. Another is murder hornets. Many have contacted the Nebraska Extension Office with concerns about the Asian giant hornets here.
The murder hornets spotted in Washington State are not here in Nebraska, but what they may be seeing is something that looks very similar.
"It hasn't been found in Nebraska; it hasn't been found anywhere else in the United States," said Jody Green, Extension Entomologist with the Nebraska Extension Office. "Because people have seen and heard the hype, so it is something they fear. In Nebraska we have not had any hornets at all. A hornet is a type of wasp, so all hornets are wasps, but not all wasps are hornets."
What we do have in Nebraska are wasps. Many are pollinators that do no harm. But there are some to be weary of.
"Social wasps or yellow jackets feel their nests are threatened, that they may feel defensive," Green said. "We have cicada wasps right now that may be what people are seeing. They come out when cicadas emerge from the soil, and their pray is strictly cicadas. They are very fast and large, so people may mistake them for a hornet."
She adds that if they are not posing a threat, they should not be killed as they are a very important part of our eco-system.
"We are losing a lot of our resources. We want flowers, we want food, we want plants," Green said.
Green adds that if you do come into contact with an unknown insect, the best thing is to stay calm and don't panic. Carpenter bees are also out and may also be one of the insects being confused for hornets.
Each county has an extension office where you contact then to get help identifying the species you are seeing.
You can even upload a photo to help in the identification process.
