WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — Officials with the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) announced today, November 2nd, that while they have not had any recent confirmed sightings of Asian giant hornets (AGH), they were notified of 1 found in a trap near the US-Canada Border on October 22nd.
British Columbia authorities found the AGH in a Japanese beetle trap not far from where 3 nests have been located and eradicated east of Blaine in Whatcom County this year. It was noted, “The location was well within the flight distance from the US nests.”
A single, aged specimen was found in a Japanese beetle trap about 1.2 km [3/4 mile] north of the first hornet nest extracted this year in Washington. The beetle trap had been serviced one month prior on September 21. The Canadian government entomologists are analyzing the DNA of this specimen to see if it is related to the Washington State nests.Washington State Department of Agriculture (November 2, 2021)
WSDA officials advise, “It is still important to be on the lookout: dead or alive, AGH reports are helpful. Any confirmed report can provide detection points to help guide trapping efforts, and collected hornets can aid in future research. If you think you have seen an Asian giant hornet, visit WSDA’s hornet webpage to report it online, via email at hornets@agr.wa.gov, or call 1-800-443-6684. Include a photo if you can safely obtain one.”