More Asian Giant Hornet Sightings Raise Concerns About New Nests

OLYMPIA, WA — It's been just two weeks since the Washington State Department of Agriculture successfully eradicated an Asian giant hornet nest, but the agency doesn't have any time to rest on its laurels.

The WSDA on Wednesday confirmed two new sightings of the so-called 'murder hornets', both found near the other nests the department destroyed in 2020 and 2021. As with previous Asian giant hornet sightings, the news has researchers concerned that the invasive insects may have established a new home base. Now, they're asking nearby residents of Whatcom County to keep an eye out for any other hornets, as any sightings could help lead researchers straight to a new nest.

The public's assistance has been key to past eradication efforts. The most recent nest extermination effort began on Aug. 11, when a resident living near Blaine reported seeing a hornet outside their home. WSDA teams were then able to track a live hornet from that property back to its nest, then eradicated the nest Aug. 26. It was the first, and so far only, Asian giant hornet nest to be discovered this year.

Though new sightings of the invasive hornet are disappointing, they're not totally unexpected. WSDA entomologists have been prepared for the possibility of more nests since the first nest was discovered near Blaine last October.

"We expect there are more nests out there and, like this one, we hope to find them before they can produce new queens," said Sven Spichiger, managing entomologist at WSDA. "Your report may be the one that leads us to a nest."

Eradicating any and all nests is a priority for Washington state. The invasive bugs are not native to the continent, and while 'murder hornets' can kill victims, through stings and spitting venom, they are a much larger threat to the local honeybee population — If the hornets discover a honeybee colony, they will systemically destroy the hive over just a few hours.