Washington state is struggling with killer hornets.
Photo: Washington State Department of Agriculture / Courtesy
The Washington State Department of Agriculture announced the destruction of the first Asian giant hornet nest in the state found this year. They are commonly known as “killer hornets.”
The entity is one of the most troubled by this pest whose specimens can grow more than two inches in length and are known to affect other bees and cause painful and even fatal stings to humans.
The nest was found at the base of a dead tree in Whatcom County, a quarter mile from the Canadian border, authorities said in a statement.
The site was found about two miles from a nest that was destroyed in October 2020. This is the first reported in 2021.
The species has been found in several states, including Texas and New York.
MURDER HORNET NEST: Washington State officials say they have eradicated its first Murder Hornet nest of the year. The nest had nearly 1,500 hornets inside. https://t.co/lexfptgS5U pic.twitter.com/rcWFN9yUvc
– CBS News (@CBSNews) August 27, 2021
The location was made possible after a resident reported the wasp sighting on August 11.
The workers eradicated the nest with a “vacuum cleaner”; The bark and decaying wood near the nest entrance were then removed, before discovering that the hornets had dug into the tree to make more room for the nest, which had nine layers of honeycomb.
Inside the nest about 1,500 hornets were found “in various stages of development” and an additional 67 hornets. The removed nest was sent to the Washington State University Extension in Bellingham, where it will be further studied.
“We hope there will be more nests and, like this one, we hope to find them before they can produce new queens,” said the department’s managing entomologist, Sven Spichiger, in the statement.
People are asked to report any sightings of this species.