Murder Hornets Make Great Escape From Scientists In Washington… Again
Image via Shutterstock
Murder hornets became a buzzword in 2020 after the creatures, officially known as Asian giant hornets, landed in the US during this tumultuous year. Scientists have finally captured the insect, only to let it slip away from their hands.
The term “murder hornets” is tied to the insects for their disastrous ability to decimate honeybee populations, which are vital to the ecosystem.
In the last week, scientists with the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) caught a live Asian giant hornet and attached a tracking device to its body with a string of dental floss.
They then released it into the wild only to lose the signal of the device. Shortly after, the bug managed to evade the researchers and escape into a vegetated area.
Sven Spichiger, WSDA’s managing entomologist, reassured that the scientists had tracked the insect’s initial flight and were able to get accounts from several property owners to begin hunting down the hornet’s nest.
This is the second time the team failed to track the hornet’s nest. Earlier this year, they also caught a live hornet but were not able to track it due to gluing issues with the device.
Scientists here in Washington used dental floss and a Bluetooth transmitter to track an Asian Giant Hornet. Right before they lost track of it, a hornet voice was heard saying. “He’s wearing a wire!” That can’t be good. #MurderHornet pic.twitter.com/IPopqsHz2f
— Mark Wright (@MarkWrightKING5) October 13, 2020
[via CNN, cover image via Shutterstock]
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