Community Health & Wellness

Possible northern giant hornet sighting reported near Burley

The Washington State Department of Agriculture is investigating a report of a potential northern giant hornet in South Kitsap County.

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The northern giant hornet is an invasive species sometimes referred to as “murder hornets.” They first surfaced in Washington nearly five years ago.

A Washington State Department of Agriculture spokesperson said Monday that a Burley resident sent a photograph of a dead hornet found on a home’s windowsill. The WSDA is investigating whether the hornet is the same species last found in Washington in 2021, when the agency eradicated four northern giant hornet nests in Whatcom County.

That was two years after the hornets were located for the first time in the United States near Blaine. Northern giant hornets can attack and destroy honey bee hives quickly and take them over as their own, according to WSDA. They don’t typically pose a risk to humans, but can attack if agitated, WSDA’s website says.

Genetic testing

WSDA spokeswoman Amber Betts said the agency will perform genetic testing to confirm whether the specimen is a northern giant hornet and related to the hornets found in Whatcom County. That would indicate that the same hornets may have migrated and still exist. She said  the agency received no reports of northern giant hornets in Whatcom County the last three years.

“From the photo it seems to be long dead,” Betts said, describing the hornet in the photo as “crispy.”

She said WSDA has received other such reports during the past few years of a single dead hornet. In each case, the agency believes the dead specimen traveled to a location — possibly via truck — rather than being part of an active hive.

She said the risk would come from multiple live hornets, meaning they can reproduce. “It’s not a risk when you just have one (dead hornet) like that.”

WSDA has already placed traps in the Burley area.

What they look like

Northern giant hornets have distinct yellow or orange heads with prominent eyes and are approximately 1.5 to 2-inches long, with a black-and-orange striped abdomen.

Report any suspected sightings on the Department of Agriculture website, via email to [email protected], or by calling 800-443-6684. WSDA wants to know the location, date and time of the sighting or attack, and get a photo if possible.

A map on the WSDA website shows around four dozen potential sightings of northern giant hornets during the past two years in Kitsap County. WSDA classified all of them as confirmed negative or unverified.