murder hornets. They were the other other big thing people were worrying about back in 2020. Well, another of the giant insects has been discovered in Washington state, just north of Seattle. Luckily the creature found dead. Seems to have been so for a while, experts say they know this because of both how dried out the corpses and because it is male, which don’t usually emerge until at least july. The stinging insects caused quite a stir back in 2019 and into 2020 when their nests were discovered in Canada’s british Columbia and into the pacific Northwest. The species technical name is the asian giant hornet hailing for many parts of Asia, which is why experts were surprised to find them in Canada and the pacific Northwest and they’re still unsure of how they ever got there. The invasion prompted authorities to set up murder hornet traps and actively destroy any nest they found. Still, the discovery of this new hornet corpse is significant as the coloring and DNA of the insect doesn’t match the other previously found breeds, meaning this could be from a completely separate swarm and has now prompted authorities to begin searching much further south than before. Asian giant hornets are exceptionally strong fliers, meaning their population can spread exceptionally quickly as well.
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First live ‘murder hornet’ of 2021 spotted in Washington state
It was reported in a rural area near Blaine, Washington
Updated: 12:38 PM EDT Aug 13, 2021
Entomologists in Washington state are setting up traps and urging people to be on the lookout after a “murder hornet” was spotted attacking a paper wasp nest this week near the U.S.-Canadian border.It’s the first confirmed sighting of a live “murder hornet,” or Asian giant hornet as they’re formally known, this year, according to a news release from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).It was reported in a rural area near Blaine, Washington, on Wednesday by a resident who was able to get a photograph of the distinctive yellow and black insect. Experts confirmed that it was an Asian giant hornet on Thursday.”This hornet is exhibiting the same behavior we saw last year — attacking paper wasp nests,” Sven Spichiger, WSDA managing entomologist said in the news release. “If you have paper wasp nests on your property and live in the area, keep an eye on them and report any Asian giant hornets you see. Note the direction they fly off to, as well.” The hornet was spotted about two miles away from where WSDA staff had found and eradicated an Asian giant hornets’ nest in October of 2020. It was about a half-mile from the border, the WSDA said. Officials in Washington and British Columbia are setting up live traps in the area to try to catch a live hornet and tag it, so they can hopefully track it back to its nest, the release said.A dead Asian giant hornet was discovered in June near Seattle, but officials believe that it was an old hornet from a previous season that had died and wasn’t discovered at the time.Asian giant hornets are the largest hornets in the world and can grow to be up to two inches long, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Its native range extends from India to East Asia.The hornet is considered invasive in the United States and “if it becomes established, this hornet will have negative impacts on the environment, economy, and public health of Washington State,” the WSDA said on its website.Asian giant hornets prey on honey bees and other insects and a few of the insects can destroy a honey bee hive in just a few hours, the WSDA said. They typically attack honey bee hives in the late summer or early fall. They earned the “murder hornet” nickname because they enter a “slaughter phase,” where they kill bees by decapitating them, the WSDA said.The hornets don’t generally attack people or pets, but they will sting when threatened. Their stingers are longer than that of a typical wasp and can pierce a beekeeper’s protective clothing, the WSDA said. They can sting multiple times and their venom is more toxic than that of other bees.
Entomologists in Washington state are setting up traps and urging people to be on the lookout after a “murder hornet” was spotted attacking a paper wasp nest this week near the U.S.-Canadian border.
It’s the first confirmed sighting of a live “murder hornet,” or Asian giant hornet as they’re formally known, this year, according to a news release from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).
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It was reported in a rural area near Blaine, Washington, on Wednesday by a resident who was able to get a photograph of the distinctive yellow and black insect. Experts confirmed that it was an Asian giant hornet on Thursday.
“This hornet is exhibiting the same behavior we saw last year — attacking paper wasp nests,” Sven Spichiger, WSDA managing entomologist said in the news release. “If you have paper wasp nests on your property and live in the area, keep an eye on them and report any Asian giant hornets you see. Note the direction they fly off to, as well.”
The hornet was spotted about two miles away from where WSDA staff had found and eradicated an Asian giant hornets’ nest in October of 2020. It was about a half-mile from the border, the WSDA said.
Officials in Washington and British Columbia are setting up live traps in the area to try to catch a live hornet and tag it, so they can hopefully track it back to its nest, the release said.
A dead Asian giant hornet was discovered in June near Seattle, but officials believe that it was an old hornet from a previous season that had died and wasn’t discovered at the time.
Asian giant hornets are the largest hornets in the world and can grow to be up to two inches long, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Its native range extends from India to East Asia.
The hornet is considered invasive in the United States and “if it becomes established, this hornet will have negative impacts on the environment, economy, and public health of Washington State,” the WSDA said on its website.
Asian giant hornets prey on honey bees and other insects and a few of the insects can destroy a honey bee hive in just a few hours, the WSDA said. They typically attack honey bee hives in the late summer or early fall.
They earned the “murder hornet” nickname because they enter a “slaughter phase,” where they kill bees by decapitating them, the WSDA said.
The hornets don’t generally attack people or pets, but they will sting when threatened. Their stingers are longer than that of a typical wasp and can pierce a beekeeper’s protective clothing, the WSDA said. They can sting multiple times and their venom is more toxic than that of other bees.
