It's time to pour one for the murder hornets. Federal and state officials in Washington announced this week that the northern giant hornet (Vespa Mandarinian) has been officially eradicated from the United States.
Officials from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported good news on Wednesday. The decision to declare the insect eradicated comes after three years with no confirmed sightings in the state or elsewhere in the country. Scientists are concerned the pest may become a prolific predator of honey bees. and other native pollinators If it comes to establish a foothold in the area
“We are proud of this important victory in the fight against invasive species,” said Mark Davidson, deputy administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service at USDA. statement From OBEC
V. Mandarinia It is the largest hornet living today. They are nicknamed murder hornets because they are aggressive towards other insects, not humans (i.e., their stings may be responsible for up to 500 deaths). There were 50 deaths. one year) Wasps are known to completely kill a hive within hours. They usually cut off their prey. It originates from Asia and first began to appear in the United States and Canada along the Pacific Northwest in 2019
In the next few years, officials, scientists And the general public has waged a small war against the hornets. People will notice possible wasp nests in their neighborhood. Contact a local entomologist. and when the sighting is confirmed Scientists then track down the nest and remove it. At the peak of the invasion The scientists then killed as many people as possible. 1,500 hornets hornets nest, but since 2021 the hornets have not appeared in the state. Maybe that's the case.
WDSA received pictures of “Suspicious hornets” came from a Kitsap County resident in early October, but scientists were unable to collect an actual sample from that sighting. As a precautionary measure, WDSA sets traps and encourages area residents to report any devious wasps. But there is no further evidence that the hornets have reappeared. It is possible that this initial report is just a misstatement. (which happens quite often too Especially these insects) But WSDA plans to place traps in the county next year, just in case.
“Even now they have been wiped out of the state. But we'll keep an eye on them and encourage community members to do the same. They got here once and can do it again,” Sven Spichiger, WSDA pest control program manager, said in a statement.
Unfortunately, murder hornets aren't the only ones. Invasive bee-killing wasp That is creating problems in the United States. At the end of this year And both native and farm cows continue to face each other. Many other dangers Threatening their population But it looks like we can stop this ongoing environmental disaster before it's too late.