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WA officials captured their first murder hornet, with less than two months until mating season
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/murder-hornet-has-been-captured-in-washington-now-the-state-has-less-than-two-months-to-find-and-destroy-the-rest/
Murderous bee might come for thee 🐝
BY LI COHEN
JULY 31, 2020 / 6:10 PM / CBS NEWS
The world's largest species of hornet invaded Washington state in December. Now, seven months later, state officials have finally managed to catch one of the "murder hornets" — but they have less than two months to catch the rest before mating season begins and the species has a chance to grow.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture announced on Friday that it captured its first Asian giant hornet on July 14 in a bottle trap near Birch Bay in Whatcom County. A lab confirmed the hornet as part of the invasive species on July 29.
This was the first time the state found a murder hornet in a trap, rather than in the environment, a WSDA press release said. There have been five prior confirmed sightings of the hornet in the state. Sven Spichiger, managing entomologist for the state department, said the finding is "encouraging" because they now know the traps work.
"But it also means we have work to do," Spichiger said.
Now, Washington officials are racing against the clock to find the rest of the hornets and eradicate them from the state before the hornets start to reproduce. Around mid-September, the queens will mate with male hornets and start reproducing new queens and workers, the department said.
"Destroying the nest before new queens emerge and mate will prevent the spread of this invasive pest," the department said.
</snip>
Murderous bee might come for thee 🐝
BY LI COHEN
JULY 31, 2020 / 6:10 PM / CBS NEWS
The world's largest species of hornet invaded Washington state in December. Now, seven months later, state officials have finally managed to catch one of the "murder hornets" — but they have less than two months to catch the rest before mating season begins and the species has a chance to grow.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture announced on Friday that it captured its first Asian giant hornet on July 14 in a bottle trap near Birch Bay in Whatcom County. A lab confirmed the hornet as part of the invasive species on July 29.
This was the first time the state found a murder hornet in a trap, rather than in the environment, a WSDA press release said. There have been five prior confirmed sightings of the hornet in the state. Sven Spichiger, managing entomologist for the state department, said the finding is "encouraging" because they now know the traps work.
"But it also means we have work to do," Spichiger said.
Now, Washington officials are racing against the clock to find the rest of the hornets and eradicate them from the state before the hornets start to reproduce. Around mid-September, the queens will mate with male hornets and start reproducing new queens and workers, the department said.
"Destroying the nest before new queens emerge and mate will prevent the spread of this invasive pest," the department said.
</snip>
I'm starting to hear a lot of buzz about this...
14 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
I have dispatched a bunch this summer when out on my patio. I left a "teen" one (red with white spots) smashed on my patio table as a warning.
And one of my sisters has a creek with some woods at the bottom of her property, where one of their favorite "foods" is growing (Ailanthus altissima, or "Tree of heaven" ) and they are just swarming all over the place down there and she has been spraying and smashing like crazy (the creek/woods are township property).
They work real good on them (if you can get them since they hop so fast). They are perfect for stinkbugs too that are hard to smash. 
