Washington State’s “Giant Hornet – Hornet Herald” for June asks people to help with detecting this pest by monitoring paper wasp nests (hornets attack them). Hornet visits last 5 – 10 minutes while the hornet removes paper wasp larvae. How to help:
- Locate paper wasp nests that you have access to and can monitor through October. Then log the nest locations using the form here
- Visit the nests each week, observe them, and then log your nest activity on a different form – here. Please monitor the nests for at least 5 minutes during the day once per week, but you can check the nests for as long and as often as you would like.
If you would like guidance on how to become a citizen-science monitor or trapper of Asian giant hornets – or presumably other bioinvaders – go here
Meanwhile, Washington State Department of Agriculture entomologists are in South Korea testing several hornet attractants and studying hornet foraging behavior. The goal is to improve Washington’s trapping and tracking techniques.
Of course, 2022 is only half over, but so far neither Washington nor British Columbia has confirmed any detections.
Posted by Faith Campbell
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For a detailed discussion of the policies and practices that have allowed these pests to enter and spread – and that do not promote effective restoration strategies – review the Fading Forests report at http://treeimprovement.utk.edu/FadingForests.htm
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