Asian giant hornet nest destroyed in Washington state

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS
Associated Press

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — State officials have destroyed the first Asian giant hornet nest of the season, which was located near the town of Blaine along the Canadian border. The Washington state Department of Agriculture said it eradicated the nest on Wednesday. The nest was located in the base of a dead alder tree in rural Whatcom County. It was about 2 miles from a nest the agency eradicated last October and about one-quarter mile from where a resident reported a live sighting of an Asian giant hornet on Aug. 11. The Asian giant hornets are sometimes called murder hornets because they prey on other bees. The world’s largest hornets are not native to North America.