How the army invented the way we exterminate hornets today

Over the years of working with pests, I have used all kinds of insecticides and professional equipment, but I had never seriously thought about who first came up with the idea of putting insecticide into a small metal can.

Recently, out of pure curiosity, I started researching how people used to get rid of dangerous insects. I found several history books, old military reports, and some pretty interesting articles online. I didn’t expect my research to take me straight back to World War II.

It turns out that one of the most important predecessors of today’s hornet sprays was developed for the US military during World War II. Scientists Lyle Goodhue and William Sullivan designed a portable aerosol sprayer that provided protection for soldiers.

I admit, after so many years in the business, I was pretty surprised. Did you know that the spray we use to treat hornet nests today has such an interesting military history, or am I the only one who missed that fact?

Let’s start at the beginning.

Insects and Bugs Were a Serious Problem for the US Military

This video uploaded by Vietnam War Files user explores the venomous insects that haunted U.S. soldiers in Vietnam by invading their bunkers, boots, and beds.

During World War II, American soldiers in the Pacific had to fight much more than enemy forces. Tropical diseases posed a serious threat that could incapacitate large numbers of men and disrupt entire military operations.

Hornets made life particularly difficult for soldiers in tents and temporary facilities. Existing pest control methods were not always suitable for field conditions. Large spraying equipment required additional space, and transportation and supplies were already enormous logistical problems.

The military needed a small, portable device that would allow enclosed spaces to be treated quickly.

When I started reading historical reports from the US Army Medical Department, one detail particularly caught my attention. The new aerosol sprayers saved approximately 85 percent of transportation space compared to earlier equipment.

For an army that had to deliver enormous quantities of supplies to remote islands, such a difference was extremely significant.

Two Scientists Created an Invention That Helped Address the Hornet Problem

Lyle Goodhue and William Sullivan worked for the US Department of Agriculture. Their task was to develop more effective ways to apply insecticides.

In 1941, they developed a prototype of a portable aerosol sprayer. The idea was based on the use of a propellant gas that allowed insecticide to be released from a small container in the form of a fine mist.

It is important to note that the military did not direct the entire research project from the beginning. The scientists were already working on the device when its potential attracted the attention of military authorities.

With military support and cooperation from Westinghouse, a practical model ready for production was developed in 1942. The device was nicknamed the bug bomb.

According to a historical overview by the US Department of Agriculture, the sprayer became the predecessor of numerous commercial aerosol products.

Why Was the Small Metal Sprayer So Important?

Try to imagine transporting large insect control equipment through a tropical jungle. Then imagine being able to perform the same basic task with a small metal container that a soldier could carry with him.

That was precisely the advantage of the new invention.

The sprayer contained a pyrethrum-based insecticide and Freon 12 as a propellant. Pressing the valve released a fine mist suitable for treating the spaces where the soldiers were stationed.

According to US Army records, production began in November 1942. By early March of the following year, approximately 600,000 sprayers had been produced.

Such rapid production says a great deal about the importance the military placed on the new technology.

From Military Sprayers to Today’s Hornet Sprays

After the war, aerosol technology gradually found its way into ordinary households. Manufacturers began developing smaller and more practical sprayers for various purposes, including household insect control.

Today’s hornet sprays represent one of the later applications of that technology. Instead of a fine mist, many products use a directed stream that allows specific areas to be treated from a greater distance.

There is another important difference. The first military sprayers used Freon 12 as a propellant. Modern aerosols use different propellant gases, and the composition of insecticides has also changed significantly.

Since I’m naturally curious, I decided to compare the original military formula with the hornet sprays we use today. I put together a simple table to see just how much has changed over the past 80 years.

In other words, today’s hornet spray is not the same product that American soldiers used in the 1940s. It inherited the same basic technological principle.

In Washington, They Demonstrated How Far the Technology Had Advanced in 2020

The brown marmorated stink bug isn’t the only Asian insect to quietly establish itself in the U.S.

One of the most interesting modern examples of hornet control occurred in October 2020, when experts in Washington State discovered the first confirmed Asian giant hornet nest in the United States.

The hornets posed a serious threat to local honeybee colonies. Experts captured live specimens, attached small radio transmitters to them, and tracked them to the tree where the colony was located.

According to an official report from the Washington State Department of Agriculture, 85 hornets were removed with a vacuum during the operation on October 24. Another 13 live specimens had previously been captured with a net.

The entire operation required locating the nest beforehand and careful planning.

Such an approach shows how much professional pest control has changed since the days when a small military aerosol was considered a revolutionary invention.

In December 2024, US authorities officially declared the northern giant hornet eradicated in the United States after three years without confirmed sightings. It was the result of years of work by experts and the removal of four discovered nests.

No single spray could have achieved such a result on its own.

Would We Use the Same Methods Today Without the Military Invention?

We probably would have developed more practical ways to apply insecticides over time even without World War II. Aerosol technology had earlier predecessors. Nevertheless, the needs of the US military significantly accelerated its development and mass production.

Throughout my career, I have learned that no technology can replace a proper assessment of the problem.