2nd Asian giant hornet nest of 2021 eradicated in Whatcom County, 3rd found nearby

Looking out for Asian Giant Hornets

State agriculture stress the importance of reporting Asian giant hornet sightings so they don't spread to other parts of Washington.

BLAINE, Wash. - The Washington State Department of Agriculture has located the second Asian giant hornet nest of 2021 in Whatcom County.

The latest nest was located southwest of the first nest near Blaine, along the Canadian border. The first nest was eradicated in the last week of August.

Crews were able to eradicate the nest on Saturday, but they found a third nearby.

This recent nest was found when the WSDA was able to tag and release a live hornet, which led them to the best.

The first hornet of 2021 was spotted in Snohomish County back in June. Nests have only been detected in Whatcom County so far.

Asian giant hornets are the world’s largest hornets and are not native to North America. They prey on honey bees and other insects. They can conduct mass attacks on honey bee hives, destroying the hive in a matter of hours. The hornets were first detected in the United States in 2019 when a hornet was reported in Whatcom County.

The 2-inch-long (5-centimeter-long) invasive insects pose a threat to honeybees and native hornet species. While not particularly aggressive toward humans, their sting is extremely painful and repeated stings, though rare, can kill.

Report suspected sightings, and learn how to trap yourself through our citizen scientist program here.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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