The Daily

The Arrival of the ‘Murder Hornet’

May 8, 2020

Mike Baker, a Pacific Northwest correspondent for The New York Times, teams up with Ted McFall, a Washington beekeeper and first responder to the 'murder hornet' crisis. They discuss the alarming arrival of the Asian giant hornet in the U.S., which decapitates honeybees and threatens food supply. McFall shares his encounters with these deadly invaders, the innovative traps being developed, and the urgent need to capture hornet queens. The conversation highlights the ecological impact and the resilience of bees, drawing parallels to societal challenges faced during crises.

27:18

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Episode guests

Ted McFall

Mike Baker

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Episode notes

Intro

2min

The Threat of the Murder Hornets

11min

Battling the Murder Hornets: Innovative Traps and Harrowing Encounters

5min

The Hornet Threat: Impacts on Honeybees

8min

Political Developments and Economic Challenges Amid the Pandemic

5min

It came to the United States from Asia and first appeared in Washington State. The country was slow to recognize it. Deaths mounted as it circulated for weeks undetected. And now, if it’s not stopped, it could reshape populations and industries across the country. Today, we discuss the arrival of the Asian giant hornet. Guest: Mike Baker, a Pacific Northwest correspondent for The New York Times who spoke with Ted McFall, a beekeeper in Washington State. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

Background reading:

The Asian giant hornet can kill humans with its stings. It also decapitates bees methodically. If the hornets spread across the United States and devastate bee populations, which we depend on for one out of every three bites of food we eat, our food supply could be threatened.
Although the Asian giant hornet kills honeybees in their hives, some bees have developed a remarkable defense: cooking the hornets alive.

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