The first Asian giant hornet nest of 2021 was located in Washington state less than two weeks after the first sighting of a live “murder hornet.”
The nest was found in Blaine, less than a mile away from where a resident reported a sighting on Aug. 11., according to a press release from the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
WSDA was able to locate the nest after putting trackers on three of the hornets and releasing them in hopes of finding their home. The plan worked and WSDA along with Oregon Department of Agriculture and USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service spotted the nest on Thursday at 9:15 a.m.
The team plans to eradicate the nest sometime next week partly due to the invasive species being predators of honey bees, who play a big role in agriculture for their natural pollination.
“A small group of Asian giant hornets can kill an entire honey bee hive in a matter of hours,” the release said.
“Murder hornets” were first spotted in the U.S. in 2019 and got their nickname for being the cause of up to 50 deaths per year in Japan. The insects are most commonly found in eastern and southeast Asia.
Last October, a nest found in Blaine was knocked down and the hornets were vacuumed out.
WSDA said although a nest was located this week, there could be more and asked the public to be on the lookout.
Visual guide:What we know about the invasive ‘murder hornet’
Follow reporter Asha Gilbert @Coastalasha. Email: agilbert@usatoday.com.
