[Epoch Times August 15, 2021](Epoch Times reporter Xia Yu comprehensive report) The first live Asian giant hornet (Asian giant hornet) in 2021 was found in Washington State, USA. Washington State officials said that on Wednesday (August 11), in Blaine, south of the U.S.-Canada border, a resident took a picture of a “killer bumblebee” attacking a wasp nest.
In October last year, officials destroyed the first big homicide honeycomb found in the United States.
According to a press release from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), a resident of Whatcom County submitted a sighting report to the department. Entomologists confirmed on Thursday (12th) that it was a Asian hornet.
“This bumblebee exhibited the same behavior we saw last year-attacking the wasp nest.” said Sven Spichiger, the entomologist in charge of the US Department of Agriculture.
A resident found a dead bumblebee in northern Seattle in June of this year. Officials later determined that the dry bumblebee appeared to be from the previous season.
This killer bumblebee, usually found in East Asia and Southeast Asia, is considered an “invasive pest.” It was first discovered in the United States in 2019. It destroys the honeybee hives that pollinate crops. A small group of Asian hornet can kill an entire hive in a few hours.
This bumblebee can grow up to 2 inches long and is the largest bumblebee in the world. It has the nickname “killer bumblebee”. Although the insects are not particularly aggressive to humans, they will feel very painful and potentially fatal after being bitten by them. According to reports, they cause as many as 50 deaths in Japan each year.
At present, local officials have set up traps to try to catch the bumblebee alive in order to track its nest.
As the sighting location was close to the US-Canada border, local Canadian officials also set up traps.
“If you have a wasp nest in your house and live in the area, please pay close attention and report any Asian hornets you see. Also pay attention to where they fly.” Spichger said.
The first Asian hornet nest found in Washington State in October last year contained approximately 500 live bees, including nearly 200 queen bees.
Scientists destroyed the basketball-sized nest soon after they discovered it.
Editor in charge: Li Yuan#
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