NO, murder hornets haven’t yet invaded our shores and NO, the invasive insects haven’t been found in the Mainland area where Hawaiʻi’s Christmas trees are harvested.
But as Dan Rubinoff of the Dept. of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences points out, “Insects and snakes and things like that are settling down for the winter and they want a nice, safe, cozy spot to sleep. A Christmas tree farm and the dense foliage of Christmas trees is a great place to rest.” Giant Asian Hornets may be establishing in the Pacific Northwest over the next few years and the threat of them making it to Hawaiʻi would then become significant.
Folks have other options for their Christmas centerpiece, Dan adds, such as purchasing an artificial tree or buying local – there are tree farms on several islands, including Oʻahu.
Watch the KHON2 TV news clip.