Dead Asian giant hornet found in Marysville

An invasive Asian giant hornet was found in Marysville recently, the first detected this year in Washington state.

The hornet species, sometimes colloquially known as the “murder hornet” because of media reports in 2019, was first detected in North American that year with reports in British Columbia and Whatcom County.

The Marysville hornet was first found on June 4. It was dead at the time and was found on a lawn.

“A lot of unusual circumstances surround this,” said Sven-Erik Spichiger, an entomologist with the Washington State Department of Agriculture, during a June 16 press briefing.

The color of it’s head and back half are similar to Asian giant hornets found in Whatcom County, “but all of the rest of the segments do not contain the orange-yellow stripes we are accustomed to seeing,” said Spichiger.

The hornet was male and most males only awaken in the fall or July at the earliest, said Spichiger, making the case stranger.

“We do not believe that any males should be alive this time of year yet,” he said.

It’s unlikely the hornet had been in the lawn for very long.

“If it had been sitting on the lawn since last year ants would have eaten it, rodents would have eaten it and the massive amounts of rain and snow would have degraded it further,” said Spichiger.

The hornet specimen could have gotten to the lawn in a number of ways, but Spichiger did not want to speculate to its exact origin.

“A single dead specimen does not indicate a population,” he said. “Hopefully it is just a one and done."

The Washington State Department of Agriculture is still taking precautions and will be putting traps up in the county though, he said.

Karla Salp, public engagement specialist with the department, said it would be helpful if residents in Snohomish County were watchful over the coming months just in case.

“Half of Washington’s confirmed detections and all of British Columbia’s detections came from alert community members,” she said.

Asian giant hornet sightings can be reported by e-mailing [email protected] or by calling 1-800-443-6684.

The hornets are typically 1.5 to 2 inches and are essentially hairless.

“They have a really large head that is disproportionate to their body,” said Salp. “If in doubt, send it over. We’d rather get reports that aren’t the Asian giant hornet than miss ones that actually are."

Trapping is also an option for those who want to help more.

“They can also participate in our citizen trapping program,” said Salp.

More details about that program are available at agr.wa.gov/hornets.

“That has all the information on how to build a trap,” said Salp, which can be done with simple materials so as soda bottles.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture hopes to prevent the spread of Asian giant hornets because they are an invasive species that kills honeybees.

“They are a big threat for our population of honeybees. They can take out a hive in hours,” said Salp.

There are also health risks for humans as well.

“They have a very painful sting and you can have serious complications if you’re allergic,” said Salp.

Although the hornets don’t typically attack unless threatened, they also often build their nests in the ground so humans sometimes inadvertently step on them prompting an attack.

“There is a direct impact to agriculture,” said Salp, not only because they eat fruit but because reduction in honeybee population means less pollinators for local plants.

More information about the Asian giant hornet is available at agr.wa.gov/hornets.