Officials with the Washington State Department of Agriculture say removing the hornets is necessary because the hornets could decimate Washington’s natural honey bee population if the agency doesn’t act.
Crews wearing thick protective suits vacuumed the invasive insects from the cavity of a tree into large canisters Saturday. The nest found near the Canadian border is about the size of a basketball and contained an estimated 100 to 200 hornets. It was found after a captured hornet fitted with a radio tag was tracked.
State entomologists destroyed the nest as part of an effort to eradicate the invasive giant insects before they have a chance to spread farther across the state. Initial plans to eliminate the nest on Friday were tabled due to the inclement weather.
Sven-Erik Spichiger, a state entomologist with the Agriculture Department, said the state officials tasked with removing the nest can’t wear a standard bee-keeper’s outfit; they must wear a durable white trappers outfit that looks similar to a space suit. He said the hornets will likely be stinging the suits during the removal process.
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