Bug experts: threat of giant hornets overblown

Insect experts say people should calm down about big bug with nickname "murder hornet" — unless you are a beekeeper or a honeybee.

Asian giant hornets found in Washington state that grabbed helines this week aren't big killers of humans, although it does happen on rare occasions.

But world's largest hornets do decapitate entire hives of honeybees, and that crucial food pollinator is alrey in big trouble.

Numerous bug experts told Associated Press that what y call hornet "hype" reminds m of 1970s public scare when Africanized honeybees, nicknamed "killer bees," started moving rth from South America. While se more aggressive bees did make it up to Texas and Southwest, y didn't live up to horror-movie moniker. However, y also do kill people in rare situations.

This time it's hornets with homicidal nickname, which bug experts want to ditch.

" murder hornet moniker has created a lot of fear in this area that's probably overblown," said Washington Agriculture Department entomologist Chris Looney, who is working on state's search for se large hornets.

Looney checked traps set out in Blaine, Washington, Thursday for hornets, but did t find any.

facts are, experts said, two de hornets were found in Washington last December, a lone Canian live nest was found and wiped out last September and live hornets have yet been seen this year.

While its nickname exaggerates human health threat, experts said this hornet is especially big — two inches long — so it does carry more and stronger toxin.