The Bellingham Herald

BIRCH BAY — Two more Asian giant hornets have been reported in Whatcom County — one found dead in a trap, the other confirmed in a photo, both in and around Birch Bay.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture released information about the hornets on Friday, Aug. 28.

The latest brings to nine the number of Asian giant hornets found in Washington state since 2019. All were in Whatcom County and represent the first sightings not only for the state but also the U.S.

Here’s what the state agency said about the most recent finds:

— A dead Asian giant hornet was found Aug. 19 in a trap set by a beekeeper in the Birch Bay area. It was a worker.

“The worker was considerably smaller than the specimens detected up to that point — underscoring the fact that Asian giant (hornets) range in size from 1.5 inches, or even less, to 2 inches,” the agency said in announcing the find. “This is a good reminder for those checking traps to keep their eyes open for smaller specimens, too.

State agriculture officials put up live traps in Birch Bay on Aug. 20.

The goal is to catch live Asian giant hornets in those traps, tag them and track them back to their colony to destroy them so the invasive pests don’t become established in Washington state.

— A member of the public posted a photo taken Aug. 18 at a Birch Bay restaurant on Birch Bay Drive. The restaurant wasn’t named.

“They were dining outside when the Asian giant hornet flew up. They were able to get a photograph of the hornet but it flew off without being captured,” the state agency said.

Usually about the size of an adult thumb, the Asian giant hornet, or Vespa mandarinia, is the world’s largest hornet species and a predator of honeybees and other insects. They are identifiable by their large yellow/orange heads.

The hornets are known for their painful stings and will attack people and pets when threatened. People should be extremely cautious near them, agriculture officials said, and those who have allergic reactions to bee or wasp stings should never approach an Asian giant hornet.

They are feared for the threat they pose to honeybees — they can decimate hives quickly — and, by extension, the hundreds of crops in Washington state that the bees pollinate.

The invasive hornets’ native range is Asia. They also are known as the Japanese hornet, yak-killer hornet, the giant sparrow bee and popularly as “murder hornets” after a New York Times article.

Asian giant hornets are typically dormant during winter. They’re seen usually from July through October, though most likely in August and September as the number of workers increases as a colony grows.

They primarily nest in large colonies in the ground — in hollows formed by rotting roots, hollow trunks and rodent burrows. They can, though rarely, nest above ground in hollow trees and human structures, state agriculture officials have said.

Report it

If you think you’ve seen an Asian giant hornet, the Washington State Department of Agriculture wants you to report it.

Provide as much detail as you can about what you saw and where. Get a photo, if you can safely, and submit it. If you find a dead Asian giant hornet, keep it for potential testing.

Here’s how to report it:

— Go online to the department of agriculture’s Hornet Watch Report Form.

— Email hornets@agr.wa.gov.

— Call 800-443-6684.

— Stay updated at the Asian giant hornet watch Facebook group.

— Learn more at agr.wa.gov/hornets.

More than 1,800 traps have been set by the department, other organizations and citizen scientists in Washington state, mostly in Whatcom and Skagit counties.