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Scientists have discovered the first nest of so-called “killer hornets” in the United States.
Asian giant hornets can sting people painfully and spit venom, but they are a greater threat to the bees that farmers depend on to pollinate their crops.
Experts hunted the nest in Blaine, a city north of Seattle, trapping the hornets and using dental floss to attach a tracking device to them.
A small group of hornets can kill an entire hive of bees in hours
“Ladies and gentlemen, we did it,” said a Washington state spokeswoman.
The nest, which is about the size of a basketball and contained 100 to 200 hornets, will be destroyed on Saturday.
Scientists suspect the nest was in the area since late last year, but how they got to North America is unknown.
Despite their nickname, hornets kill at most a few dozen people a year in Asian countries.
In contrast, the hornets, wasps and bees typically found in the US kill an average of 62 people a year.
However, bees have good reason to be concerned, as a small group of hornets can kill an entire hive in hours.
Asian giant hornets are typically found in China, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, and Vietnam.
Washington State and the Canadian province of British Columbia are the only places hornets have been found on the continent so far.
Fortunately, none have been reported in the UK.
