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‘Adopt’ a wasp to help monitor Asian giant hornets in WA

By Daisy Zavala Magaña The Seattle Times

SEATTLE – Those seeking a hobby this summer might consider adopting a wasp.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture recently announced a new public project to help monitor Asian giant hornet activity in the state.

The project requires participants to “adopt” paper wasp nests and monitor them weekly from June through October to see if they are visited by hornets, the agency said in a news release.

Whatcom County residents have reported Asian giant hornets attacking paper wasp nests in the past two years. In 2021, the department tracked a hornet’s activity, and observed it repeatedly returning to the same nest and remove the wasp larvae.

Paper wasps, varying in size and gray or brown in color, are not typically aggressive – though they can sting if threatened. Honey bees pollinate many of Washington’s crops, which contribute to the state’s multibillion-dollar agriculture industry.

About 1,000 traps will be set up again this year in an effort to eradicate Asian giant hornets in Washington.

The hornets were first detected in the state in 2019, and scientists believe the giant hornets are confined in Whatcom County, WSDA said Tuesday. Three giant hornet nests were killed last year all near Blaine.

While the department is encouraging all Washington residents to participate in it’s “adopt a wasp” project, officials are especially seeking participation from residents in Whatcom, Skagit, Island, San Juan, Snohomish, King, Jefferson and Clallam counties.

Starting Wednesday, participants can locate nests they have access to and log them on WSDA’s online registration form.

Participants will be required to check the nests for at least five minutes each week during the five-month period and report findings on the check-in form.

The department is also encouraging people to set their own traps following the guidance listed on their website.

For more information about the project and to access the registration forms, visit st.news/adoptwasp.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.