Just when it seemed things couldn’t get any worse this spring, headlines began blaring about a new threat: the Asian Giant Hornet. But no matter what horror stories you may hear, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says there have been no confirmed U.S. sightings outside of Washington State.
However, the DEC says other pests do pose threats to our region. Residents and visitors alike should be on the lookout for giant hogweed, which is present in Suffolk County and can cause serious chemical burns, and southern pine beetle, which has caused extensive damage to East End pine barrens and trees throughout Suffolk County.
Here’s what the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says about these topics in its monthly newsletter, DEC Delivers.
Asian Giant Hornet
“Since the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) was first detected in Washington state in December of 2019, it has been hard to miss the eye-catching headlines about this species,” the DEC says. “With so much news out there, we want to make it easy for you and break down the facts about this much-buzzed-about species.”
Here’s the facts:
- In North America, the Asian giant hornet (AGH) has only been found in a small area in Washington state and British Columbia. No AGH have been found anywhere else on our continent, including the East Coast.
- NY’s most common lookalike is the European hornet (Vespa crabro), and it’s active now. AGH are 1-2 inches in length and European hornets are 0.5-1.5 inches in length.
- AGH do not attack humans unless
- you handle one,
- you are within 10 feet of a nest, or
- you are approaching a beehive that they are attacking.
- Their sting hurts a bit more that other hornets because they are bigger. Human deaths caused by AGH stings are extremely rare – about 12 per year worldwide (compared to about 60 deaths in just the U.S. each year from bee and hornet stings).
- That said, AGH do attack and destroy honeybee hives.
The DEC says readers looking for more information should visit the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets website.
If you think you have found an Asian giant hornet in NY, please review the identification materials on the AGM website. If you still have suspicions after review, you can email photos and location information to AGM at plants@agriculture.ny.gov.
Giant Hogweed
“Giant hogweed plants are beginning to bloom across many parts of the state, making it a prime time to spot this harmful invasive,” the DEC says. “But be careful, giant hogweed is a large, flowering plant from Eurasia with sap that can cause painful burns and scarring.”
Here’s a description:
Adult giant hogweed plants tend to be 7 to 14 feet tall with an umbrella-shaped cluster of white flowers up to 2.5 feet wide. The stem is green with purple splotches and coarse white hairs, and leaves are large (up to 5 feet across), incised, and deeply lobed, the DEC says. The most common lookalike found in NY is our native cow parsnip, which flowers earlier and does not have the purple splotches on the stem (but can also cause burns). You can find more identification tips, including a table of other lookalikes, on the DEC website.
“If you think you have found giant hogweed, do not touch it,” the DEC says. Instead, from a safe distance, take photos of the plant’s stem, leaves, flower, seeds, and the whole plant. Then report your sighting to DEC by emailing photos and location information to ghogweed@dec.ny.gov or calling 845-256-3111. DEC staff will help you confirm if it is giant hogweed and provide you with information on how to control it.
Southern Pine Beetle
The DEC is asking the support of Suffolk County residents in controlling one other pest: the southern pine beetle. Its Forest Health team has reports great success in tackling southern pine beetle (SPB) and restoring East End pine barrens. Residents and visitors alike have a role in continuing that success. Keep your eyes out for signs of southern pine beetle, which the DEC says are active and flying now. The most common signs include:
- a group of pine trees with needles yellowing at the same time,
- pitch tubes, or popcorn-shaped clumps of resin on the tree’s bark all the way up the tree, and
- shotgun-patterned holes on the bark.
Southern Pine beetle invasive insect 
If you’ve see signs of SPB, please submit a report at NY iMapInvasives, its a free and easy to use reporting system. You can download an app onto your phone or use the online system. Find out more about the southern pine beetle, including photos, on the DEC website.
