Remember back in summer 2020, the full thick of the pandemic? A time of turmoil after long quarantine, exhausting online learning, loss, and confusion when all of a sudden every major news outlet in the country started reporting about the so-called terror of the hornet family that would be able to decimate the honeybee population and horrify the American public, the murder hornet.

Well, put simply, the “invasion” of murder hornets was a major betrayal of trust and a lie of the American media. To understand this further, one should look at the true science of Vespa mandarinia. The Asian Giant Hornet, also referred to as the Japanese Giant Hornet, is a species of wasp that is native to parts of Asia and Russia. The hornet is regarded in the scientific community as a highly predacious species that specializes in eliminating honeybees and yellowjackets at a rate of up to 40 bees per minute.

At this point, you’re probably wondering in what world should we not be concerned about these highly evolved 2-inch bee-killing machines. Well, the answer is, we should not be worried about them in this world. The Asian Giant Hornet is not a threat to the United States nor is it at all established in the United States.

The murder hornet mania is and has only ever been an attempt by the major media to exploit Americans’ fear into revenue. It all started off of just two hornet nests found in Washington state, exploding into the bane of the entire honeybee population of the United States. What should be taken away from this scam is not that murder hornets aren’t a threat because that can be found in any simple scientific analysis. Readers must learn that while its main purpose is to inform, the media will often exploit readers’ apprehension and fear to fuel their business.