A team of entomologists in full-body protective gear sucked Asian giant hornets from a tree in Washington state on Saturday, eradicating the first nest of so-called killer hornets found in the United States.
The state agriculture department said it had spent weeks searching for and catching hornets, which attack bee hives and could pose a threat to humans because they can repeatedly sting with a venom that is stronger than that of a bee.
State entomologists were able to connect radio trackers to three hornets they had caught earlier in the week, one of which followed to the nest, located in a tree near Blaine, Washington, on Thursday.
They returned on Saturday to do the extraction.
“I got them. “He vacuumed several #AsianGiantHornets from a tree cavity near Blaine this morning,” the agriculture department said on Twitter, adding that more details will be provided at a news conference Monday.
The largest hornet in the world, the hornet can grow up to 6.4 cm (2 1/2 inches) long and is native to Southeast Asia, China and Taiwan. It was first discovered in the United States in December by an owner in Blaine.
In addition to the danger to humans, the hornet poses a threat to agriculture and the hive industry, authorities have said, because it is a known predator of honey bees, with some hornets capable of killing an entire hive in hours.
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