Scientists In Washington State Have Trapped Their 1st Murder Hornet

|

August 1st, 2020

A bottle containing orange juice and rice cooking wine is set as a trap by Jenni Cena, pest biologist and trapping supervisor from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), in an effort to catch Asian Giant Hornets, also known as murder hornets, on July 29, 2020 in Bellingham, Washington. Asian giant hornets attack and destroy honeybee hives. Once established, its feared the Asian Giant Hornet could have negative impacts on the environment, economy, and public health of Washington State. WSDA currently has 442 traps throughout the state. To date, five Asian Giant Hornets have been found in Washington state, all by public citizens in Whatcom County. The traps are checked once a week.

Karen Ducey / Getty Images

The Washington State Department of Agriculture announced Friday that it trapped its first Asian giant hornet on July 14, a step forward in the race to remove the invasive species before it damages North American bee populations beyond repair.

“This is encouraging because it means we know that the traps work,” Sven Spichiger, the managing entomologist for WSDA, said in a press release. “But it also means we have work to do.”

Also known as murder hornets, they are about the size of an average thumb and they have sharp, serrated jaws and stingers that can pierce through denim jeans. It “kind of seems like someone just stitched together a bunch of nightmares and just ran with it,” entomologist Samuel Ramsey told NPR’s Short Wave in May.

Related

Top Stories