2nd Asian giant hornet nest of 2021 found in Washington State near B.C. border

Vancouver -

Officials in Washington State say they've located a second Asian giant hornet nest in as many months in Whatcom County, just over the B.C. border.

The latest nest was found southwest of the first one officials encountered this year, which was found in a dead alder tree in rural Whatcom County, east of the border city of Blaine. 

That nest was eradicated late last month and had nearly 1,500 hornets inside in various stages of development, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture. 

Plans are now being made to eradicate the second nest.

The department says all of the Asian giant hornet incidents in northern Whatcom County have been reported "within a few miles" of each other. 

Asian giant hornets are an invasive species and prey on honey bees and other native insects.

Experts say if they establish a population in B.C., they may pose a serious threat to our beekeeping and commercial pollination industries, which in turn will have serious consequences for local agriculture.

They typically nest in underground cavities, or above ground in tree stumps of forested areas.

Also known as "murder hornets," the invasive insects were first found in B.C. in 2019, when a small nest was eradicated in Nanaimo. 

Since then, there have been no additional sightings of the hornets on Vancouver Island, though several dead specimens were found in the Fraser Valley last year.

The latest nest in Washington State will be the third to be eliminated by U.S. officials.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Regan Hasegawa