After the destruction of a nest of what are being referred to as “murder hornets,” scientists believe that other nests already exist throughout the country.
In late October, the Washington Department of Agriculture shared video of the containment of the first nest of murder hornets found in the U.S.
The insect, which was first discovered at the beginning of the year, was feared by many as having the potential to wreak havoc through the giant insects’ painful stings.
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Scientists say that in the first nest which was destroyed, they discovered approximately 500 insects in various stages of development, CBS News reports.
Among these specimens, nearly 200 were supposed to be queens that have the potential to start their own nests.
"We got there just in the nick of time," said Sven-Erik Spichiger, a Washington state entomologist leading the fight to kill the hornets
In addition to believing that other nests may already exist by now, experts say that it’s impossible to know if any queens escaped the first nest before its destruction.
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The Asian giant hornet is the largest hornet species in the world.
Known also as the Vespa mandarinia, the species is considered a significant threat to honeybees, thousands of which the hornets can decapitate in a matter of hours.
The first hornet’s nest was discovered in a tree inn Whatcom County, Washington, along the Canadian border.
Inside, researchers found 190 total larvae that developed from eggs, 108 pupae (nearly all queens at the next stage after larvae), 112 workers, and 76 queens, nearly all new virgin queens (new queens leave the nest to mate before finding a new location to spend winter and subsequently start a new colony).
Spichiger said that while it’s impossible to know how the hornets arrived, it’s imperative that they are wiped out before they spread.
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