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Possible invasive 'murder hornet' sighting reported in Washington state

The Washington State Department of Agriculture said it is investigating a report of a possible sighting of a Murder Hornet near Port Orchard, Washington.

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BURLEY, Wash. – A possible sighting of a murderous species of hornet has been reported in Washington.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) said it is investigating a report of a possible sighting of a Northern Giant Hornet, also known by the nickname "murder hornet", in the Burley area, near Port Orchard, Washington.

The Northern Giant Hornet, formerly known as the Asian Giant Hornet, is the world's largest species of hornet, according to WSDA. The species received the "murder" moniker because of its murderous tendencies toward honey bees. 

The hornets attack honey bee hives and during a "slaughter phase" can kill entire beehives by decapitating bees, WSDA said. A few hornets can eliminate an entire hive in just a few hours.

WSDA said the first known sighting of the murder hornet in the U.S. was in Washington in 2019. The state received confirmed reports of the Northern Giant Hornets in 2020 and 2021, and eradicated the species then. The hornets haven't been recorded in the state since 2021, according to WSDA. 

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Sven Spichiger, Washington State Department of Agriculture managing entomologist, displays a canister of Asian giant hornets vacuumed from a nest in a tree behind him on October 24, 2020, in Blaine, Washington. (Elaine Thompson)

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Washington State Department of Agriculture workers, wearing protective suits and working in pre-dawn darkness illuminated with red lamps, vacuum a nest of Asian giant hornets from a tree on October 24, 2020, in Blaine, Washington. (Elaine Thompson)

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FILE- A group of Washington State Department of Agriculture workers stand together holding a cannister of trapped Northern Giant Hornets in 2020. (Washington State Department of Agriculture)

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Jenni Cena, pest biologist and trapping supervisor from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), sets a trap designed to catch Asian giant hornets, also known as murder hornets, on July 29, 2020 in Bellingham, Washington. The trap consists of a bottle containing a mixture of orange juice and rice cooking wine. They are checked once a week. (Karen Ducey)

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FILE- A close-up of a trapped Northern Giant Hornet in Washington state in 202. (Washington State Department of Agriculture)

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FILE- A Northern Giant Hornet on a tree branch in Washington in 2020. (Washington State Department of Agriculture)

The department said it does not have the specimen reported in Burley, so it can't be determined at this time if what was reported is actually a murder hornet. 

Murder hornets typically don't attack people or pets unless threatened, WSDA said. However, their stings are longer than a honey bee's and carry more venom. 

Northern Giant Hornets can also sting more than once, WSDA said. 

The WSDA asks any possible sightings of Northern Giant "Murder" Hornets to be reported on their website.