Washington state officials hunt murder hornet nests before ‘slaughter phase’
Officials in Washington state are conducting a frantic search for a nest containing Asian giant hornets, also known as murder hornets, before the creatures enter what is known as their “slaughter phase”.
Six hornets have been sighted or trapped near the city of Blaine in the past two weeks, prompting authorities to launch a hunt before the hornets embark upon a murderous rampage among honeybees.
“Asian giant hornets this time of year start going into what we call the slaughter phase,” said Sven-Erik Spichiger, an entomologist at the Washington state department of agriculture.
In this phase, the hornets launch attacks on honeybee colonies, decapitating workers and dividing up their bodies as food for their young. The prospect is worrisome for farmers who rely on the bees to pollinate key crops, such as blueberries and raspberries.
The Asian giant hornet, called the murder hornet due to its ferocious reputation, was spotted in North America for the first time last year, first appearing in British Columbia in Canada before spreading across the border into Washington state. It is likely the hornets arrived from eastern Asia via a shipping or aircraft container.
Washington state officials managed to trap a live hornet for the first time on 30 September. However, an attempt to glue a tracker to the insect, to lead investigators to the nest, failed after the glue instead gummed up the hornet’s wings.
About a dozen hornets have been discovered in Washington state. While the creatures pose the greatest threat to bees, they can also deliver a painful sting to people, an experience likened to hot tacks thrust into flesh. Repeated stings can lead to death: in Japan, the fearsome territorial insects kill about 50 people a year, many as a result of allergic reactions.
Entomologists have placed traps around Blaine, close to the Canadian border, and have appealed to residents to report sightings. The hornets have been mistaken by some people for large bees but are quite distinctive, growing up to two inches long and with large teardrop-shaped eyes.
If they are able to establish themselves in Washington state, the hornets may be able to push into California. Should they be transported to the east coast, the hornets would find highly suitable surroundings in the New York area, entomologists say.