The “Murder Hornet,” honeybees, and you
Reprinted from the Washington Policy Center
By TODD MYERS | BLOG May 4, 2020
The Asian Giant Hornet is now in Washington state, and the Washington State Department of Agriculture is looking for help to eradicate them. I recorded a short video about the hornet, which has been dubbed the “Murder Hornet,” and what they mean to honeybees and people.
If you live in northwest Washington state (I misspeak in the video and say “northeast”), you can help track the hornet by putting out traps. The Department of Agriculture is looking for volunteers in Clallam, Island, Jefferson, San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom counties. To learn more about how to help, read the department’s blog on the topic.
To get a sense of their size, here’s a picture I took of the specimen the department is sharing. The large coin in the photo is a Euro, about the size of a quarter.