Washington caught its first Asian giant hornet. OK, fine, yes, a 'murder hornet.'
Don't call it a "murder hornet."
The stinging. honeybee-hunting insect that first made the news in May is back in headlines once again. Months after it was first sighted in the U.S., the Washington State Department of Agriculture actually managed to catch one in a trap.
A WSDA press release confirms that an Asian giant hornet was recovered on July 14 from a trap set near Birch Bay, just south of the Canadian border. It wasn't formally identified until July 29, at which point it became the first of its species to be caught in the U.S., following five previous sightings.
The state agency characterized the news as "encouraging." While it's not great that the invasive species of hornet is indeed present in the U.S., having a viable trap means work can begin on finding and eradicating nests.
Captured hornets can be tagged and tracked, turning them into tiny, unwilling narcs that guide researchers back to their colonies. It's important to root them out before mid-September because that's when more queens will start to arrive, which means more nests.
Much has been said about the danger that Asian giant hornets pose to humans – not entirely incorrectly – but the real danger is to honeybees. These aggressive hornets feed on insects, and it takes no more than a few dozen to tear apart a beehive.
That's a problem because the U.S. honeybee population has been in decline for years, and human survival depends in part on their continued existence. Their pollination efforts are vital to keeping the global food supply chain alive.
Asian giant hornets do represent a threat to humans, too. Their sting is multiple times stronger than that of an average honeybee, and multiple stings can be fatal. They don't hunt humans or anything – that's just horror movie fare – but they're aggressive and territorial, so human death is a possibility if they gain enough of a foothold.
The WSDA effort to contain their presence has been aided in part by help from the public, with the agency crediting "citizen scientist" efforts for the creation of more than 1,3000 traps. There are even instructions provided for trapping and sending hornets off for research.
The press release cautions Washington residents to watch for Asian giant hornets in August and September in particular. Colonies grow and worker numbers increase during this time. Even if you find a dead one – they can grow to sizes of 2 inches or more – it's a good idea to recover it and send it off for testing, along with any other details or photos that might be pertinent.
Related Video: Here's how the so-called 'murder hornets' came to the U.S
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
