The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) confirmed the first sighting of a live Asian giant hornet sighting for the year. According to the report, the nest was located 3 miles from where it was last eradicated in October 2020. They may not be invasive in the U.S. but, they are the largest predators for honeybees.
Asian giant hornet sighted again
According to a report submitted by a resident of Whatcom County on August 11, 2021, entomologists from the WSDA confirmed the first sighting of the Asian giant hornet. It also included an image of them attacking a paper wasp’s nest. “This hornet is exhibiting the same behavior we saw last year – attacking paper wasp nests. 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,” said Sven Spichiger, the managing entomologist for WSDA.
Here is what’s next on the agenda
The sighting was merely 2 miles away from their last year’s sighting. However, the exact location of the nest is unknown. Hence, in response to the sighting, the WSDA plans to set live traps around the area. This way, entomologists can tag and track the giant hornet to its nest. Additionally, the British Columbian government plans to set more taps in Canada. After all, the new sighting is merely half a mile away from the U.S.- Canadian border.
Public reports of the insect’s sighting are vital for detection. Last year, over half of WSDA and all of the British Columbian reports were sent in by the public. Although there have not been any sightings from B.C., two public sightings surfaced on the American side of the border.
