. . World news – California – Scientists destroyed a murder Hornets’ nest. Here’s what they learned.

Officials emptied the country – first nest of so-called kill boats last month in Washington state. Invasive insects can reproduce and kill native bee populations, putting crops and ecosystems at risk.

Giant Asian hornets Known as the Murder Hornets ???? Threatening headlines inspired all summer long amid warnings that invasive insects could wipe out the American honey bee population. Last month, after various sightings across the Pacific Northwest, officials in Washington state discovered and removed the first known hornet nest in the United States.. .

As officials continue to search for other nests to destroy in the hope of wiping out wasps from the country, entomologists are revealing what they learned from the first nest removal..

â ?? Looks like we got there just in time, ???? Sven Eric Speiciger, an entomologist with the Washington State Department of Agriculture, said at a news conference about the nest results this week.

Late last month, officials in Blaine, Washington. -Remove aggressive hornet’s nest ???? That was about to enter the « slaughter phase » ???? a???? Before they can reproduce and kill honey bees in the area. Had it not been removed, the insects would have spoiled the area’s vital pollinators for raspberries, blueberries and other crops..

Wasps are not native to the United States and can be found more commonly in Asia, where they are known to kill up to 50 people annually in Japan..

The Blaine Colony was located in an area of ​​woodland and farmland after officials attached wireless tracking devices to three hornets they had previously trapped.. One of those wasps led responsible to a nest that was eight feet high in a tree.

Entomologists vacuumed a few hundred wasps, then closed the rest of the nest in October. 24, mr. Spichiger said at a press conference held roughly on Tuesday. Officials later removed the section of the tree where the nest was closed and moved it to the Quarantine Research Center at Washington State University. .

in October. 29, officials opened the nest to find most of the insects still alive. Including wasps that had been vacuumed days earlier, officials said they removed about 500 hornets in various life stages from the nest, which was about 14 inches long and at least eight inches wide..

In addition to the 112 workers found, there were hundreds of larvae and pupae (the stage of life after the larvae), as well as some eggs and male wasps.. the master. Spichiger also said the nest was able to house around 200 queens.

The nest is smaller than those in hornets’ habitats, where there can be up to 700 queens, Mr.. Spichiger said.

Although mr. Spichiger said officials removed several queens from the nest in time, and said there were some queens that might have escaped and could form new colonies next year..

At least three queens were found in a nearby water bucket after extraction, he said, adding that it was impossible for officials to ensure that they had caught all the hornets or the number that could be there..

â ?? When you see all the relatively small nests capable of taking out 200 queens, they give one of them a bit of a pause, because in the end each of those queens could be a new nest, ???? He said.

If any queens escape, they may not survive if they do not receive adequate nutrition before leaving the nest. But if one is properly fed and mated with a male, they can theoretically go out and choose a protected area to be quarantined during the winter, which helps the formation of new colonies in the spring..

â ?? It’s clear since we picked up samples last year and captured queens early on that very few of them were able to create nests in 2020, ???? He said.

Hoping to eventually wipe out the wasps, state Department of Agriculture workers will continue to trap the wasps until Thanksgiving at least..

However, officials will not track down any queens they might capture because they are unlikely to return to the officials’ nest to wipe it out.. At this point in the season the officials ???? The best chance of spotting another nest is if the wasps keep attacking a beehive, Sid. Spichiger said.

Findings from this nest left officials unsure of how the hornets got to the Pacific Northwest in the first place.. the master. It is possible that a mated queen will find her way to Washington through international trade, Spichiger said. He also said it is possible that someone had smuggled wasps to the United States to breed them for food. (It is sometimes consumed as a snack or used as an ingredient in alcoholic beverages. )

Even if no other hornets are found in the area in the future, officials will continue to use traps for at least another three years to ensure the area is free of wasps..

â ?? This one won’t go after you and kill you, ???? the master. Spichiger said. However, if you enter a nest, your life may be in danger. â €

However, he added, « Your life is also in danger if you enter the nest of other stinging insects as well. ». â €

Hornet, Giant Asian Hornet, Wasp, Honeybee