It was reported in a rural area near Blaine, Washington, on Wednesday by a resident who was able to get a photograph of the distinctive yellow and black insect. Experts confirmed that it was an Asian giant hornet on Thursday.
“This hornet is exhibiting the same behavior we saw last year — attacking paper wasp nests,” Sven Spichiger, WSDA managing entomologist said in the news 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.”
Officials in Washington and British Columbia are setting up live traps in the area to try to catch a live hornet and tag it, so they can hopefully track it back to its nest, the release said.
Asian giant hornets prey on honey bees and other insects and a few of the insects can destroy a honey bee hive in just a few hours, the WSDA said. They typically attack honey bee hives in the late summer or early fall.
They earned the “murder hornet” nickname because they enter a “slaughter phase,” where they kill bees by decapitating them, the WSDA said.