LYNDEN, Wash. — The first Asian Giant Hornets' nest discovered in the United States is on display at the Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden as volunteers and the Department of Agriculture work to teach people in Whatcom County about the invasive species.
"So these are the Asian giant hornets, look at the head, look at the bodies," said Ruthie Danielsen, a beekeeper, to a group at the Northwest State Fair. "These hornets here were born in North America where they should not be."
The display is called "Nest Zero." The hornet's nest, eradicated in Blaine last October, sits in a display case. Posters show pictures of the insects. Dead hornets have been placed in small jars and cases.
"I've had a lot of people come and say they were only here to see the Asian giant hornets exhibit and to understand more about the hornets," Ruthie said.
It appears to be one of the most popular booths at the fair. Ruthie has people swarming around her looking to learn about the Asian giant hornet.
"The goal was to get more people to understand in Whatcom County. That is the reason I purchased the nest," Ruthie said.
She bought the nest from the property owner where it was found last October. She said she's donated it to the state.
"They've been studying this for the last six months at the universities," she said.
A longtime beekeeper, Ruthie said the past two years have made her an Asian giant hornet expert. She says beekeepers and the state have worked to set up traps.
"It flies at about 22 miles per hour so you can't outrun it," Ruthie said. "So what the state told us is please do not try to hit it, don't even try to kill it, because we don't want them individually dead. It does us no good to have a hornet killed."
The Washington Department of Agriculture said it's looking for a second nest.
Last week, for the first time this year, a live murder hornet was spotted. The state was able to trap two of the insects and place trackers on them.
One tracker was recovered without a hornet attached to it on Saturday.
The next stop for "Nest Zero" is the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. Ruthie and the WSDA said it's part of the country's natural history. The nest will be at the Northwest State Fair until Saturday.