Last year the Asian giant hornet was seen in Blaine and Bellingham. It is a newly introduced pest, and if established it will have serious negative impacts on the environment and the honeybee population.
This hornet has a yellow or orange head, a wing span of 3 inches, and the body is almost as large as a man’s little finger with alternating black and yellow stripes. It is about twice as large as our native wasps and hornets.
They’re not generally aggressive except around their ground nest, but the venom is toxic and multiple stings can be dangerous. It does not build paper nests in trees or on houses. It nests in the ground or in a rotting stump, which can be recognized by a midden pile of excavated earth in front of the entrance. It is a dangerous pest of honeybees and can quickly kill entire hives.
If you see this hornet, call the Washington State Department of Agriculture at 1-800-443-6684.
Richard Thomas
Port Townsend
