Scientists in Washington had discovered 500 murder hornets in various stages of development in addition to nearly 200 queens that could have started their own nests.
Winter is on its way out. The days are getting longer, vaccinations are ramping up, and an end to the pandemic could be in sight.
But murder hornets don't care about any of that.
Warmer weather is when they thrive, and scientists in the United States and Canada are preparing for the next Asian giant hornet season in the summer and fall of 2021.
" ... in the coming year, Washington state, British Columbia and U.S. federal agencies are gearing up and collaborating on their plans to track, trap and eradicate any Asian giant hornets they find," the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) wrote.
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They're after honeybees, not humans
Asian giant hornets are an "invasive pest that threatens pollinators and ignores international borders," the department wrote.
Known for their massive size, cartoonish faces and penchant for decapitating honeybees, Asian giant hornets have a toxic venom that can damage tissue in humans if stung. Rarely, stings can be deadly.
But they're not after humans.
Washington State Department of Agriculture entomologist Chris Looney displays a dead Asian giant hornet, a sample sent from Japan and brought in for research, on May 7, 2020, in Blaine, Washington.
Asian giant hornets attack honeybee hives, destroying them in mere hours and decapitating bees in what scientists call their "slaughter phase." They then take over the hive, feeding their own young with honeybee eggs and larvae.
While they attack other insects too, they're not known to decimate entire populations like they do with honeybees.
In the US since 2019
The first U.S. sightings of the Asian giant hornet happened in Washington state in 2019, following sightings in British Columbia in the fall.
How they got here from their native Asia is unclear, but it's possible they arrived with international container ships, purchases shipped into the U.S. or travelers visiting or returning.
Buzzing around the Pacific Northwest and Canada, Asian giant hornets made an even bigger scene in the summer of 2020 when they emerged from hibernation to build their nests and colonies.
Now, the WSDA and other agencies are preparing for summer and fall 2021, when the hornets will rouse again.
"Washington's plans remain similar to last year's response, including a strong emphasis on public outreach, reporting, and trapping in addition to the agency's trapping," the department wrote.
Scientists are urging citizens to begin setting traps for the hornets in July, with orange juice or brown sugar-based baits.
Reporting hornet sightings is also essential to contain them. Last year, half of the confirmed reports in Washington and all confirmed reports in British Columbia were from members of the public, the department wrote.
Photos: The murder hornet
Here's a look at the honeybee-killing insect.
Photos: Scientists preparing for murder hornets' return
In this May 4, 2020, file photo, Sven Spichiger, an entomologist with the Washington state Department of Agriculture, poses for a photo with an Asian giant hornet from Japan mounted on a pin in Olympia, Wash. The insect is the world's largest hornet and has been dubbed the "murder hornet" in reference to its appetite for honeybees and a sting that can be fatal to humans.
In this Oct. 7, 2020, photo provided by the Washington State Department of Agriculture, a live Asian giant hornet with a tracking device affixed to it sits on an apple in a tree where it was placed, near Blaine, Wash.
In this Oct. 24, 2020, file photo, a Washington state Department of Agriculture worker holds two of the dozens of Asian giant hornets vacuumed from a tree in Blaine, Wash. When scientists destroyed the first nest of so-called murder hornets found in the U.S., they discovered about 500 live specimens inside in various stages of development.
Sven Spichiger, Washington State Department of Agriculture managing entomologist, displays a canister of Asian giant hornets vacuumed from a nest in a tree behind him on Oct. 24, 2020, in Blaine, Washington.
Washington State Department of Agriculture workers, wearing protective suits and working in pre-dawn darkness illuminated with red lamps, vacuum a nest of Asian giant hornets from a tree on Oct. 24, 2020, in Blaine, Washington.
Washington State Department of Agriculture entomologist Chris Looney displays a dead Asian giant hornet, a sample brought in from Japan for research, May 7, 2020, in Blaine, Wash. The Asian hornets that have been found in Washington state may be deadly to honeybees, but bug experts say they are not a big threat to people.
In a photo provided by the Washington State Department of Agriculture, an Asian giant hornet wearing a tracking device is shown Oct. 22, 2020, near Blaine, Wash.
In a photo provided by the Washington State Department of Agriculture, an Asian giant hornet wearing a tracking device is shown Oct. 22, 2020, near Blaine, Wash.
An Asian giant hornet wearing a tracking device is shown Oct. 22, 2020, near Blaine, Wash.
An Asian giant hornet wearing a tracking device is shown Oct. 22, 2020, near Blaine, Wash.
An Asian giant hornet wearing a tracking device is shown Oct. 22, 2020, near Blaine, Wash.
A worker attaches a tracking device to an Asian giant hornet Oct. 22, 2020, near Blaine, Wash.
An Asian giant hornet wearing a tracking device is shown Oct. 22, 2020, near Blaine, Wash.
An Asian giant hornet wearing a tracking device is shown Oct. 22, 2020, near Blaine, Wash.
A Washington State Department of Agriculture worker displays an Asian giant hornet taken from a nest Oct. 24, 2020, in Blaine, Wash.
Wearing protective suits, Washington State Department of Agriculture workers finish wrapping a tree in plastic after working to eradicate a nest inside of Asian giant hornets Oct. 24, 2020, in Blaine, Wash.
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