First murder hornet nest of 2021 discovered near Canada-U.S. border
The year's first nest of Asian giant hornets, or so-called "murder hornets," has been discovered near the Canada-U.S. border.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture says the nest was found in a rural area east of Blaine, Wash., not far from where a resident reported a live sighting last week.
WSDA officials caught, tagged and released three hornets with tracking devices in the area in the days that followed.
“One hornet slipped out of the tracking device, another hornet was never located, and one eventually led the team to the nest,” wrote the WSDA in a release.
Entomologists will now develop their plans to eradicate the nest, most likely next week.
Asian giant hornets are an invasive species and prey on honey bees and other native insects.
Experts say if they establish 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.
"A small group of Asian giant hornets can kill an entire honey bee hive in a matter of hours,” warned the WSDA.
Asian giant hornets are the largest hornets in the world.
They are found throughout South and East Asia, and researchers believe they were likely brought to North America accidentally on container ships.
The insects were first seen in B.C. in 2019 in Nanaimo.
Several dead hornets were found in the Southern Fraser Valley last year, but no nests have been discovered as of November 2020 according to the Invasive Species Council of B.C.
Anyone who spots a Asian giant hornet is asked to report it to the council at 1-888-933-3722 or on its website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From essential goods to common stocking stuffers, Trudeau offering Canadians temporary tax relief
Canadians will soon receive a temporary tax break on several items, along with a one-time $250 rebate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
She thought her children just had a cough or fever. A mother shares sons' experience with walking pneumonia
A mother shares with CTVNews.ca her family's health scare as medical experts say cases of the disease and other respiratory illnesses have surged, filling up emergency departments nationwide.
Putin says Russia attacked Ukraine with a new missile that he claims the West can't stop
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday that Moscow has tested a new intermediate-range missile in a strike on Ukraine, and he warned that it could use the weapon against countries that have allowed Kyiv to use their missiles to strike Russia.
Service Canada holding back 85K passports amid Canada Post mail strike
Approximately 85,000 new passports are being held back by Service Canada, which stopped mailing them out a week before the nationwide Canada Post strike.
Taylor Swift's motorcade spotted along Toronto's Gardiner Expressway
Taylor Swift is officially back in Toronto for round two. The popstar princess's motorcade was seen driving along the Gardiner Expressway on Thursday afternoon, making its way to the downtown core ahead of night four of ‘The Eras Tour’ at the Rogers Centre.
Trump chooses Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Gaetz withdraws
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Thursday named Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, to be U.S. attorney general just hours after his other choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name from consideration.
Here's a list of items that will be GST/HST-free over the holidays
Canadians won’t have to pay GST on a selection of items this holiday season, the prime minister vowed on Thursday.
Manitoba RCMP issue Canada-wide warrant for Ontario semi-driver charged in deadly crash
Manitoba RCMP have issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for the semi-driver involved in a crash that killed an eight-year-old girl and her mother.
Mother charged after infant dies in midtown Toronto: police
The mother of an infant who died after being found at an apartment building in midtown Toronto on Wednesday has been charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life.