State traps first male Asian giant hornet
CUSTER, Wash. — The Washington State Department of Agriculture has trapped a male Asian giant hornet, the first male of the species to be detected in the United States.
The hornet was caught in a WSDA bottle trap near Custer in Whatcom County. This is the same area where a dead, mated queen was found in July and a suspected bee kill was reported in 2019.
The trap was collected on July 29 and was processed in the entomology lab on August 13.
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“Trapping a male Asian giant hornet in July initially came as a surprise,” said WSDA managing entomologist Sven Spichiger. “But further examination of the research and consultation with international experts confirmed that a few males can indeed emerge early in the season.”
The WSDA will be setting live traps in the area in an attempt to capture a live Asian giant hornet, tag it and track it backs to its nest. If and when that happens, the WSDA will eradicate the nest.
The hornets are most likely to be seen in August and September. If you think you’ve seen one, report it at agr.wa.gov/hornets.
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