Murder hornet documentary premieres Saturday, February 20

The Discovery channel will release a feature documentary titled “Attack of the Murder Hornets” on Saturday, February 20, which details the film crew’s experience closely following the Asian giant hornet trail last fall.

The documentary follows Blaine beekeepers Ruthie Danielsen and Ted McFall, and Washington State Department of Agriculture entomologists Sven-Erik Spichiger and Chris Looney, who spent hours in Blaine searching for Asian giant hornet nests.

“They wanted to know the details of the story of working with WSDA and being on the hunt for the Asian giant hornet,” Danielsen said.

Danielsen said over 10 crewmembers filmed at her house, where she keeps bees, recording everything from her beehives to making plastic bottle traps.

The film is produced by Michael Paul Stephenson, who was also involved in “Best Worst Movie” and “The American Scream.” It will premiere on the Discovery channel and online streaming service Discovery Plus. According to a Discovery Plus press release, the film is also produced by OJO Entertainment and Howard Swartz is executive producer.

The Asian giant hornet is believed to have come to the Blaine area in the fall of 2019 and one nest was eventually exterminated in October 2020. The invasive insect is feared for its ability to decapitate thousands of honeybees and wipe out colonies of native honeybees. Around 40 to 50 people a year are killed in Japan by the hornets.

“I’m really glad the documentary is coming out because the more people that understand the impacts of the invasive species, the more people will be putting up traps and looking for it,” Danielsen said. “I’m thrilled it will educate more people.”