BLAINE, Wash. — Officials with the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) reported yesterday, August 13th, they captured 2 live Asian giant hornets (AGH) over a 2-day period. This followed a photo report showing an AGH on a paper wasp nest in the east Blaine area, the first confirmed sighting of a live AGH this year.
While not revealing where they captured the 2 AGHs, WSDA officials said they were equipped with radio transmitting tags using Kevlar string, fed strawberry jam and released to be tracked.
After staying in the area for a couple of hours, the hornets took off. Our team has been tracking them this afternoon but have not yet located a nest. The radio tags remain active for about two weeks, so we will continue to look over the coming days in an attempt to locate the nest.WSDA (August 13, 2021)
The confirmed sighting and 2 live captures follow the location and eradication of a nest last October.
Asian giant hornets are an invasive pest not native to the US. They are the world’s largest hornet and prey on honey bees and other insects. These hornets may attack honey bee hives in the late summer or early fall. A small group of Asian giant hornets can kill an entire honey bee hive in a matter of hours.
Visiting WSDA’s website at agr.wa.gov/hornets is the best way to report suspected hornet sightings. The online reporting form allows you to upload photos as well as to indicate on a map where the sighting occurred. Alternatively, sightings can be emailed to hornets@agr.wa.gov or can be reported by calling 1-800-443-6684.