On the Hunt for a Murderer
Have you seen the news about the Murder Hornet? Because I sure have!
The Asian Giant Hornet has made another appearance in B.C. this spring. Last year a nest was found on Vancouver Island and eradicated by local beekeepers (although people were stung).
We know there is a nest in Washington State that hasn’t been located. Recently one murder hornet was found in Langley - and that is too close to home - so I have started an investigation.
First I gathered the facts:
Giant hornets like to nest in the ground, preferably in the roots of pine trees.
They are mobile at around the same temperatures as our local wasps
Giant hornets will hunt and kill entire beehives in an evening
If we can get to the nest now, we can eradicate it before the queen is able to make more nests
Second I needed to see the scene of the crime:
I contacted the head Provincial Apiculturist, Paul van Westendorp, to see if he knew the location where the murder hornet was found. He was happy to give me the general location, limited to a couple blocks so that I could take on a search.
Armed with my bravery, my pesticides and some free time, I took to the streets of Langley to search for a murderer. I am working systematically along public lands to see where some likely locations could be. The area has lots of trees and leaf litter where a murderer could hide, and so far I have only found innocent bystanders (lots and lots of bumblebees), which I am happy to see but unable to get a lot of information out of.
My search will have to continue….
