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What do you need today?

Monday, July 1, 2024
Cassie Cichorz

July is here and you know what that means: northern giant hornet trapping time!

We aren’t out of the woods yet! We need your help to monitor for and report northern giant hornet sightings.

Since the first report of a northern giant hornet in Washington in 2019 (known as the Asian giant hornet or the “murder hornet” back then), the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s (WSDA) Pest Program has been working to eradicate northern giant hornets.

You can help keep Washington free of northern giant hornets

woman with bottle of orange juice and hornet trap in the forest

While things are looking promising, we still need the public to help detect these hornets. What can you do? Set hornet traps, monitor paper wasp nests, and report northern giant hornets in Washington. WSDA is especially looking for people in Whatcom, Skagit, Island, San Juan, Jefferson, and Clallam counties to trap and monitor for northern giant hornets, but anyone is Washington can participate.

The best time to participate is from July through November. You are most likely to see or catch a northern giant hornet during this timeframe because colonies are established, and workers are out hunting.

How it works

Reporting your trap or paper wasp nest location is very important. Knowing where hornet traps and observation nests are located and promptly reporting any northern giant hornet catches will be critical to WSDA’s ability to find and remove northern giant hornet nests.

Learn more about how to get started below.

hornet trap in tree
 

Hornet trapping

Watch a wasp nest
  1. Locate materials and build your trap. Instructions to build your trap are available on WSDA’s website.
  1. Locate a paper wasp nest that you can observe from a safe distance. An active paper wasp nest is preferred.
  1. Record your trap location. Knowing where hornet traps are located allows WSDA to respond quickly if a hornet is found.
  1. Map your observation nest location. You will be given a Nest ID. Keep the nest ID for future reporting.
  1. Check your trap weekly. Change the bait and rehang the trap.
 3.Watch your observation nest weekly for at least 5 minutes.
  1. Discard non-hornet trap catches.
 4.   Report your observations on the check-in form with your Nest ID.
  1. If you think you’ve spotted a northern giant hornet, take a photo and report it online, email hornets@agr.wa.gov, or call 1-800-443-6684.

Citizen scientists make a difference

By participating in a northern giant hornet citizen scientist project, you are helping protect your community from northern giant hornets. To learn more about northern giant hornets and WSDA’s program to eradicate them, visit WSDA hornet webpage.

Stay connected

WSDA is dedicated to working with the public and to providing information on northern giant hornets.