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A live "murder hornet" was spotted for the first time in 2021 in a rural area of Washington state. A local resident snapped a photo of the Asian giant hornet attacking a paper wasp nest about two miles from where wildlife officials destroyed a murder hornet nest last October.
"This hornet is exhibiting the same behavior we saw last year -- attacking paper wasp nests," Washington State Department of Agriculture managing entomologist Sven Spichiger said in a press release. "If you have paper wasp nests on your property and live in the area, keep an eye on them and report any Asian giant hornets you see. Note the direction they fly off to, as well."
The WSDA said it will set up traps in the area and is working with officials in Canada to set up traps north of the border. The hornet was spotted just a half-mile from the U.S./Canadian border.
Officials are hoping to capture one of the hornets alive so they can track it back to its nest.
Murder hornets are considered an invasive species and are known to aggressively attack wasps, honey bees, and other insects. A small group of the giant hornets can destroy an entire beehive in just a few hours, leaving behind decapitated bees in their wake.
While they rarely attack humans, their venom is more toxic than wasps, and their stinger is long enough to puncture a beekeeper suit.