Second ‘murder hornet’ nest of year destroyed in Washington state, third nest discovered

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) said it has destroyed a second nest of “murder hornets,” noting that it has also discovered a third nest.

“The second Asian giant hornet nest of 2021 has been eradicated. It had four combs. Our team did an incredible job today,” the department shared in a Facebook post on Saturday.

“Our work is not complete. A third nest this season has been located and plans are underway for eradication. We will have more to update in the coming days,” it added. 

Second 2021 nest is down. A third has been located within the same general area. We are working on plans for eradicating now. More updates to come in the next week. pic.twitter.com/kcbO9CXDCL

— Washington State Department of Agriculture (@WSDAgov) September 11, 2021

WSDA officials eradicated the first giant hornets’ nest in Whatcom County last month, discovering nine layers of combs and more than 1,500 hornets in various stages of development, according to CNN.

The Asian giant hornets often referred to as murder hornets were first detected in the U.S. in 2019, according to The Associated Press.

The world’s largest hornets, they are predators to other insects including honey bees, who pollinate many crops in the state’s agriculture industry.

The insect is also known for its rare, extremely painful sting. While not aggressive toward humans, repeated stings from the hornets can kill, the AP noted.