Second Live Giant Asian Hornet Captured In Washington

WASHINGTON — A second Asian giant hornet has been captured alive in Washington state, leaving officials one step closer to eradicating the hornet's nest.

Asian giant hornets are an invasive species in Washington state. They are the world's largest hornets and, while they can be deadly to humans in extreme circumstances, pose a much greater risk to honey bees: the hornets are known to decapitate honey bees and systematically destroy their colonies, which in turn can be damaging to plants that rely on the bees for pollination.

The first live Asian giant hornet was captured in Washington this July, after several dead hornets turned up in traps starting last winter.

Like the first, the second live hornet was found near Blaine, Washington in Whatcom County. The Washington State Department of Agriculture says a resident reported a captured hornet on Monday, Oct 5. After verifying the catch, two days later officials released the hornet, attached to a tracker, with the hopes that it would lead them back to its nest.

Researchers say they had been struggling to find ways to get the tracker onto the wasp, this time the tracker was affixed to the hornet by tying the machine to the wasp with dental floss.

After gathering its bearings, the wasp led researchers on a chase through several wooded areas before they lost track of the signal. Though it did not lead them all the way home, researchers say this will help them get closer to finding and destroying the nest. The WSDA also says they spoke to several residents in the new area, who confirmed that they had seen live wasps recently.

"We are starting to narrow down exactly where the hornet nest is, it is in that area," Sven Spichiger, WSDA managing entomologist said.

Shortly after the live hornets escape, on Friday two more dead hornets were also found. One of the dead appeared in a trap within Blaine's city limits, about a mile from where residents saw the very first dead Asian giant hornet in December 2019. In response, the Washington State Department of Agriculture is placing several more traps in the immediate area, in the hopes of narrowing their search further. The second dead hornet found Friday was located just north of the Canadian border.

Getting to the nest has become increasingly crucial: researchers had hoped to find and destroy the nest by mid-September, before the colony could begin making new queens and drones and expanding.

Still, researchers remain optimistic. The WSDA will continue to check the area and place traps in the hopes of narrowing the search zone even further, and are asking the nearby community to help out as well: Department of Agriculture leaders say everyone should report any suspect hornets any time they see them.

Hornet sightings can be reported online at agr.wa.gov/hornets, over email by contacting hornets@agr.wa.gov or by calling their hotline at 1-800-443-6684