Hornet's Nest

Good news, everyone:

“So-called murder hornets have been eradicated from the United States, officials announced Wednesday, five years after the invasive species was first identified in Washington state,” NBC reported on Wednesday. “We’re pleased to announce the eradication of the northern giant hornet in Washington state,” Derek Sandison, director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), said in a press release. “I’m incredibly proud of our team, which has dedicated years of hard work to safeguarding our state and the nation from this invasive threat to our native pollinators and agriculture. I’d also like to acknowledge the federal, state, and local support that made this feat possible. This success is the result of our combined efforts.” “Without the public’s support for this effort, it is unlikely we would be announcing the eradication of northern giant hornet today,” Sven Spichiger, WSDA pest program manager, said. “All of our nest detections resulted directly or indirectly from public reports. And half of our confirmed detections came from the public. The people of Washington can be proud that we did this by working together.”

Now we can get back to worrying about other nonexistent existential threats...