For all of you catching up, the Asian giant hornet (a.k.a. Murder hornet) has been spotted over the past two years in Washington and Canada. This has made headline news because of how dangerous and deadly these hornets can be to not only humans but also to honey bees. Asian giant hornets can kill 40 honey bees per minute and depending on the size of the hive, they can wipe out an entire colony in under two hours. This is devastating because of how important honey bees are to our ecosystem with their crucial role of pollinating.
Just last week, Washington authorities confirmed the first sighting of an Asian giant hornet this year. According to one of the managing entomologists, Sven Spichiger, the specimen that was found was dead and dried out. Unfortunately there wasn’t enough information that pointed to how long the hornet had been there. Some officials say that it could have been there from last season because Asian giant hornets don’t emerge until July. Genetic testing on the hornet concluded that it was not a relative of the hornet first found in 2019, meaning that it was brought over at a different time. Officials have started setting up murder hornet traps and they are encouraging citizens of Washington to do the same.
The murder hornet traps are simple to make! You need a plastic bottle, knife or scissors, yarn, rice cooking wine, and orange juice. First, take your plastic bottle and cut a star shape into the side towards the top with your knife or scissors. Next, fill the bottle about 1/4 of the way with orange juice. After that, screw the lid back on and tie the yarn around the neck of your bottle. Lastly, tie your homemade trap to a tree outside and wait. And remember, these hornets have only been spotted in Washington so for my fellow Iowans, there is no need to make these traps. But I like to be prepared just in case!
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