Murder hornets make return to Washington state

Updated: Sep 14, 2021 / 05:54 AM CDT

An Asian giant hornet sits in a dish after the Washington State Department of Agriculture eradicated an Asian giant hornet nest on Sept. 11, 2021. (Photo courtesy Washington State Department of Agriculture)

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The second Asian giant hornet’s nest discovered in Washington state in 2021 was eradicated Saturday, state officials said.

Pieces of an Asian giant hornet nest that the Washington State Department of Agriculture removed on Sept. 11, 2021. Photo courtesy Washington State Department of Agriculture

The Washington State Department of Agriculture posted on social media saying it removed the nest that had been found earlier in the week.

This second nest had four combs.

In its post Saturday, the Washington State Department of Agriculture also said it had discovered a third nest in the same general area as the second nest and plans were underway to remove that one as well.

It plans to release another update in the coming days.

Asian giant hornets, known as “murder hornets” by researchers because of their aggressive behavior and sting, are native to East Asia. However, they were discovered in North America near Vancouver Island, Canada, in 2019 and in 2020 were found in parts of Northwest Washington.

The insects can grow to be 2 inches long and can use their mandibles to decapitate honeybees. They can wipe out honeybee colonies in a matter of hours.