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Insect identification #869428

Asked May 21, 2024, 11:02 AM EDT

We killed this in our yard in Rockford Mi. We think it is an Asian murder hornet. How do get rid of a nest if I find one?

Kent County Michigan

Expert Response

Sorry for the delay in responding -- busy time for our experts.  I've assigned your question to expert Nathan Walton.  He will be in touch soon.

That is a huge insect -- I'm curious too as to what it is! ;-)

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That looks like the European Hornet (Vespa crabro). They are relatively new to Michigan but becoming more common. They are similar to our native Bald Face Hornets (Dolichovespula maculata), only a lot bigger. 
This time of year they are looking for a place to build a nest. If you do find one later in the season you can use a similar approach as you would use for a bald face hornet nest. You can find out more from this MSU Extension article: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/getting_rid_of_wasps_nests
An Ask Extension Expert Replied May 23, 2024, 11:18 AM EDT

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