WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — Two Asian giant hornets were caught and tagged by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) on Friday, in the hopes researchers will be able to track the insects back to their nest.
The WSDA set the traps on Thursday near where the first sighting happened. Government agencies in British Columbia are also setting up traps since the sighting was only a half-mile away from the U.S.-Canada border.
The first sighting this year of a live Asian giant hornet was confirmed in Whatcom County on Wednesday near Blaine, according to the WSDA.
The Asian giant hornet was spotted attacking a paper wasp nest two miles east of where the first Asian giant hornet nest was eradicated last year. A homeowner reported the sighting to the WSDA.
Asian giant hornets are invasive to the U.S. They're known to attack and destroy wasp and honey bee hives. Just a few giant hornets can destroy a hive within a matter of hours.
The WSDA is asking anyone with paper wasp nests on their property to keep an eye out for Asian giant hornets and report any sightings, in addition to the direction hornets fly off to.
Asian giant hornet sightings can be reported on the WSDA website.