Large Asian Giant Hornet Nest Eradicated In Whatcom County

WHATCOM COUNTY, WA — The Washington State Department of Agriculture successfully eradicated the first Asian giant hornet nest of the year Wednesday in rural Whatcom County. The mission began back on Aug. 11 when a resident living near Blaine reported a "murder hornet" spotted outside their home. Crews successfully tracked a live hornet to the nest last week, then returned Wednesday to take care of business.

In a news release Thursday morning, WSDA officials said the nest was situated at the base of a dead alder tree, roughly two miles from a nest the state eradicated last October. Crews donning special protective suits vacuumed 113 worker hornets from the nest, then removed bark and decayed wood around the entrance to the nest. Inside they found the hornets had "excavated" inside the tree and constructed nine layers of comb.

State officials said the nest contained close to 1,500 hornets in various stages of development and shared a video showing dozens that had yet to emerge from their cells. The team caught another 67 hornets nearby.

WSDA teams will be on the hunt for more Asian giant hornets through November, and the state continues to encourage residents to photograph and report any potential sightings. Asian giant hornets — the largest hornets in the world — are not native to North America and present a threat to honey bees and other insects.

"While we are glad to have found and eradicated this next so early in the season, this detection proves how important public reporting continues to be," Sven Spichiger, managing entomologist at WSDA. "We expect there are more nests out there and, like this one, we hope to find them before they can produce new queens. Your report may be the one that leads us to a nest."

The section of the tree that contained the nest was sent on to the Washington State University Extension in Bellingham for study.