The first Murder Hornet nest was found on a property near Blaine, Washington on Thursday, October 22. The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), with the permission of the land owner, successfully eradicated the nest just two days after the sighting.

The operation began at 5:30 a.m. and finished around 9 a.m..

Managing entomologist Sven Spichiger said, “While this is certainly a morale boost, this is only the start of our work to hopefully prevent the Asian giant hornet from gaining a foothold in the Pacific Northwest. We suspect there may be more nests in Whatcom County.”

Why are murder hornets so dangerous?

Murder hornets are an invasive species from Asia that arrived here in the states several months ago. Though one sting from a murder hornet most likely won’t kill an adult, the sting hurts, a lot, with people describing the pain as molten metal on the skin. While most adults are hearty enough to survive a sting, this two inch hornet has a larger stinger that packs a deadly poison that can kill a small child.

The Murder Hornet also has an unusual thirst for honey bees. Specifically ripping off their heads. A single hornet can wipe out a whole nest of bees which poses a major threat to the environmental balance of any location these insects invade.