Asian giant hornet spotted near Blaine, close to B.C. border
Credit to Author: Derrick Penner| Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2019 23:24:06 +0000
In September, a nest of Asian giant hornets was discovered in Nanaimo, now another example has turned up in Blaine, not far from the Canadian border, according to Washington agriculture officials.
A property owner, on Dec. 8 reported finding an “unusually large hornet” near their home, which Washington State Department of Agriculture entomologists identified as Vespa mandarinia, more commonly known as the Asian giant hornet.
It is an invasive species not previously known to be in Washington state, but this is now the second sighting of the insect in the Pacific Northwest, which is a particular concern because it is a voracious predator that can wreak havoc on bees.
“It’s disappointing to hear there’s another sighting,” said Gail Wallin, executive director of the Invasive Species Council of B.C., “but it’s great, because it’s still early on and gives us a higher chance of eradicating the species.”
Wallin said there were no further sightings on Vancouver Island after three individual giant hornets were found and a subterranean nest of the insects, located in a park south of Nanaimo, was destroyed in September.
It is concerning, because as an apex predator in the insect world, the hornet will “have a higher impact on the environment,” Wallin said, and as isolated sightings, officials don’t know whether they have established themselves or how they are moving around.
The same Blaine property owner spotted a second live hornet at a hummingbird feeder before retreating into the trees, according to agriculture officials, so entomologists will return to the area when hornets are usually more active to set traps and try to track insects back to a colony, if there is one, said Chris McGann, a spokesman for the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
“It does pose a threat to beekeepers and any other native insects in the area, (so) we don’t want an invasive species getting a foothold in our state,” McGann said.
Wallin said agriculture officials in B.C. and Washington started sharing information since the giant hornets were first spotted in B.C., which will hopefully give them a better chance of eradicating the insect.
For instance, they can compare the DNA of insects that they find to discover if they are the same or different populations, Wallin said.
Native to parts of China, Japan and Korea, the Asian giant hornet feeds only on other insects and can make short work of a honey bee hive.
They nest in the ground, unlike bees and wasps that nest in trees and buildings. Worker hornets can reach 3.5 centimetres in length, but queens can be up to five centimetres.
It is rare for hornets to sting people, but that can happen if their nests are disturbed and stings can be painful with localized swelling or itching because they inject a larger amount of venom.
The province said anyone who is stung 10 or more times and develops symptoms of toxic or allergic reaction should seek medical attention immediately.
In B.C., anyone who sees an Asian giant hornet can report the sighting to the Invasive Species Council of B.C. at 1-888-933-3722 or via the council’s mobile phone app or the non-governmental agency’s website.
“You never want to hear about the first (sighting),” said Wallin, “and you don’t want to hear about the second, but you would rather hear about them before there are thousands of them, which is often what happens with invasive species.”
An example of Vespa mandarinia, the Asian giant hornet, found near Bellingham, close to the Canadian border Dec. 8 and reported to the Washington State Department of Agriculture. It is the second sighting of the invasive species in the Pacific Northwest in 2019. Credit: Handout, Washington State Department of Agriculture.
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