Two more Asian Giant Hornets, or otherwise referred to as ‘murder hornets,’ have been spotted in Washington State, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
Both hornets were found on Aug. 19. The first hornet was found as WSDA and USDA workers were setting up experimental traps in the Birch Bay area, officials said in a press release.
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The traps were set up near an area where an unmated queen ’murder hornet’ was trapped in July.
A worker #AsianGiantHornet was found in a trap near Birch Bay on Aug 19 and another AGH was photographed but not captured at a nearby outdoor restaurant. See the weekly update from @WSDAgov for more info: https://t.co/cLvvG2mlWt pic.twitter.com/DTNnUl5xyA
— Whatcom County Gov (@Whatcomctygov) August 28, 2020
As WSDA officials were setting up traps in the area, they found another trap that was set by a local beekeeper and found a dead worker Asian Giant Hornet inside. The deceased giant hornet was “smaller than the specimens detected up to that point,” officials said.
Another ’murder hornet’ was found after a resident posted a picture of it on Facebook, claiming the insect was at a restaurant on Birch Bay Drive.
The resident was dining outside when the hornet flew up, according to WSDA officials. They were able to get a photo of it before it flew away without being caught.
After these two recent sightings of the hornets, the WSDA set up live traps in Birch Bay on Aug. 20.
The traps will allow for the hornets to be caught alive and officials will then tag them and track them back to their colony. WSDA officials said once the colony is found, it will be eradicated.
To learn more about the WSDA and what they are doing to track the ’murder hornets,’ click here.
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