Murder hornet nest in Washington state destroyed 'in the nick of time' after it was found to have 500 live specimens including 200 queens capable of spawning their own nests

  • Experts found nearly 200 potential 'murder hornet' queens in the nest in Blaine
  • It's difficult to know how many queens would have survived from the nest
  • Scientists had destroyed the Asian Giant Hornet nest in an operation in October
  • They wrapped the trees where they lived and sucked them out with a vacuum  
  • Experts are concerned that they could kill off bee populations in North America

Experts found nearly 500 live 'murder hornet' specimens including 200 queens in the nest that was destroyed by agriculture officials in Washington State last month.

In an operation on October 24, entomologists eradicated the first-ever US nest of the giant Asian insect in Blaine, north of Seattle, by using a vacuum to suck them out.

The scientists had attached radio trackers to three insects caught in a trap, with one leading them to their nest. It was then removed by members of the Washington State Department of Agriculture's (WSDA) Pest Program.

The nest contained 108 cells which looked like queen hornets ready to emerge while another 76 had already spawned, according to the state agriculture officials. 

Pictured: Two queens discovered during the operation in Blaine, Whatcom County, Washington

Pictured: Two queens discovered during the operation in Blaine, Whatcom County, Washington

Washington State Department of Agriculture workers, wearing protective suits and working in pre-dawn darkness illuminated with red lamps, vacuum up a nest of Asian giant hornets from a tree on October 24 during a previous operation

Washington State Department of Agriculture workers, wearing protective suits and working in pre-dawn darkness illuminated with red lamps, vacuum up a nest of Asian giant hornets from a tree on October 24 during a previous operation 

It's difficult to discern how many more queens would have survived because some don't get enough nutrition before they leave the nest. 

But for many, they leave and mate with males if they are waiting outside the nest. The queens then hibernate during the winter months and create new colonies in the spring. 

Entomologists are concerned that the Asian giant hornets could kill off bee populations in North America. 

The 'murder hornets' can attack honeybee colonies and destroy their hives - sometimes in a matter of hours, according to the WSDA. 

The aim for agriculture officials is to eradicate the species if possible, Sven Spichiger, the managing entomologist for the Washington State Department of Agriculture, told NBC News.   

'I'm very encouraged by the support we've received from the public, and our citizen scientists,' he said. 'And with that type of an effort and with everybody looking and immediately calling them in, we actually do stand a strong change. 

'So I'm cautiously optimistic we will achieve that goal.'

Scientists tracked down the nest by attaching radio transmitters to three of the insects which had been caught in a trap, one of which led them back to its home

Scientists tracked down the nest by attaching radio transmitters to three of the insects which had been caught in a trap, one of which led them back to its home

One of the captured hornets is shown wearing a miniature tracker, which was used by scientists to find the nest

One of the captured hornets is shown wearing a miniature tracker, which was used by scientists to find the nest

Entomologists of the WSDA's Pest Program wore protective suits and used dense foam padding to seal crevices in the nest found last month. 

They then wrapped the tree in cellophane, leaving a single opening before inserting a vacuum hose to remove the hornets. The team removed 98 worker hornets, which will be used for scientific research.     

'It really seems like we got there just in the nick of time as our original vacuum extraction seemed to only give us workers,' Spichiger added. 'We only got queens four days later after we cracked it open, and so if any queens had already left the nest, it was just a few.'

After opening the nests, scientists found 190 larvae, 112 worker hornets and nine male hornets in addition to the queen count. The nest contained six combs with at least 776 cells, but Spichiger said some outer cells may have been damaged upon removal and not counted.    

Entomologists first discovered the Asian giant hornet nest in a tree cavity on private property in Blaine, Whatcom County, close to the US-Canada border on 22 October. 

In the last month, there have been several sightings of the invasive pests in the Blaine area of the state.  

A worker from the Washington State Department of Agriculture displays a canister of Asian giant hornets vacuumed from a nest in a tree behind him on October 24

A worker from the Washington State Department of Agriculture displays a canister of Asian giant hornets vacuumed from a nest in a tree behind him on October 24

Workers from the WSDA's Pest disconnect hoses from a canister of the Asian giant hornets vacuumed from a nearby tree

Workers from the WSDA's Pest disconnect hoses from a canister of the Asian giant hornets vacuumed from a nearby tree

A team of scientists dressed in protective suits with a tube of Asian hornets that had been vacuumed out of the tree

A team of scientists dressed in protective suits with a tube of Asian hornets that had been vacuumed out of the tree

The first confirmed detection of the hornet in the US was in December 2019 near Blaine and the first live hornet was trapped this July. Just over 20 have been caught so far, all in Whatcom County. 

The invasive insect is normally found in China, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam and other Asian countries.    

The Asian giant hornet is the world's largest hornet at two inches and can decimate entire hives of honeybees, which are already under siege from problems like mites, diseases, pesticides and loss of food.

'The hornets enter a "slaughter phase" where they kill bees by decapitating them. They then defend the hive as their own, taking the brood to feed their own young,' the WSDA said. They have already destroyed six or seven hives in Washington state.    

The bee population has been on a concerning decline for years and their eradication could have detrimental affects on the environment. 

A survey by the U.S. National Agriculture Statistics Services showed that  the population declined from six million hives in 1947 to 2.4 million hives in 2008, a 60 per cent reduction.     

Despite their nickname, the hornets kill at most a few dozen people a year in Asia, and experts say it is probably far less but they do deliver painful stings to humans. 

Hornets, wasps and bees typically found in the US kill an average of 62 people a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.   

One of the hornet queens is seen inside a test tube after being extracted from the tree

One of the hornet queens is seen inside a test tube after being extracted from the tree

Hatching queens are seen inside the nest after it was removed from the tree

Hatching queens are seen inside the nest after it was removed from the tree

Murder Hornet statistics

Latin name: Vespa mandarinia 

Adult length: 1 3/4 inches

Wingspan: Three inches

Sting length: Quarter of an inch

Description: Yellow face and large black and yellow striped abdomen. Large jaws and a noisy flier. 

Asian giant hornets are more than double the size of honeybees, and have a wingspan measuring more than three inches

Asian giant hornets are more than double the size of honeybees, and have a wingspan measuring more than three inches

Natural habitat: Across Asia

Venom: It administers seven times more venom than a honeybee when it stings. This acts as a neurotoxin and can lead to seizures and cardiac arrests. The sting is described as incredibly painful.

Behavior: Insect emerges in April and nests in the ground. It predates on many insects, but particularly targets honeybees.

Risks Has a habit of sacking bee hives, decapitating the workers and stealing the young. The European honeybee has no defense against the invader. Its stings could also prove fatal to Americans.

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