Agricultural department workers wearing protective suits have eradicated the primary nest of giant "murder hornets" discovered within us, vacuuming them out of a tree in Washington state.
The nest of Asian giant hornets was found on Thursday by Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) entomologists on a property in Blaine, near the border with Canada, the agency said.
They spent weeks attempting to find the nest, trapping hornets and tracking them, using thread to tie tiny radio trackers on the insects, which are nearly two inches (five centimeters) long and have a painful sting.
Before dawn on Saturday, a team of workers dressed from head to toe in protective suits vacuumed the insects out of their nest within the cavity of a dead tree.
"Got 'em. Vacuumed out several #AsianGiantHornets from a tree cavity near Blaine this morning," the state Agriculture Department said on Twitter later Saturday, together with a video showing a mass of hornets during a transparent container.
It said the removal of the nest seemed to are successful and more details would be provided at a group discussion on Monday.
Scientists in Washington state are actively trying to find the Asian Vespa crabro since the primary such insect was detected in December 2019 and after one amongst the wasps was trapped in July in Whatcom County, where Blaine is found. Canada also found Asian giant hornets in two locations in neighboring British Colombia.
Several more of the invasive pest not native to the US were subsequently caught, tired of the identical region.
After weeks using tracking devices to find the hornets they've finally been removed. (Elaine Thompson/POOL/AFP)
The WSDA believes there was an honest chance that there are more nests and "stopping this cold is extremely crucial," said Sven Spichiger, an entomologist with WSDA, during a news conference on Friday.
"If it becomes established, this hornet will have negative impacts on the environment, economy, and public health of Washington State," the WSDA said.
It is unclear how the hornets arrived in the US.
Scientists warn that unless the insect is eliminated within the next couple of years, it could spread in North America and become permanently established.
The hornets, which are native to East Asia and Japan, usually don't attack people but they're known for decimating honeybee colonies.
The hornets slaughter honeybees by biting their heads off so occupy the bee nests for up to every week or more, feeding on the pupae and larvae.
In Japan, where the insects are hunted and eaten, some 30 to 50 people die annually from their venomous and excruciating sting.
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