A nest of roughly 150 Asian giant hornets was destroyed in Nanaimo on Wednesday, Sept. 18. A few of the remaining invasive species remained at the former site of the nest the following day. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

Invasive hornets

Asian giant hornet nest located and destroyed in south Nanaimo

Sep 19, 2019 | 7:20 AM

NANAIMO — A large nest home to an estimated 150 Asian giant hornets has been destroyed in Nanaimo. However concerns are rising the invasive species will remain.

The discovery and eradication took place late Wednesday, Sept. 18 by members of the Nanaimo Bee Keepers Club. The find was confirmed by provincial apiculturist Paul van Westendorp.

NanaimoNewsNOW toured the in-ground nest Thursday, located in the same area where three of the invasive hornets were first discovered in mid-August.

Roughly a half dozen of the Asian giant hornets were still alive as of mid-day Thursday near the decimated nest on a wooded trail just south of the Robins Park ball diamond.

“They could establish themselves very, very successfully here on the west coast and we want to put in some serious effort to reduce that risk,” van Westendorp said while observing the nest’s remains.

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The intimidating insects occasionally rose from the ground where the nest was and surged up and down the trail as the scene was inspected by van Westendorp.

He said the surviving lingering insects were disoriented and agitated.

“It’s a very successful predator, but it’s a menace and poses a threat and we prefer to remove that threat, that’s all there is to it.” _{Paul van Westendorp}

Van Westendrop said destroying and removing the nest at this time of year was “absolutely critical” since the species reproduces in the late summer/fall period.

He said DNA analysis will be conducted to pin down where in Asia the hornets are from and how they arrived in British Columbia..

“Likely in a container ship or in some other capacity…we hope that we are nipping it in the bud.”

The Ministry of Agriculture said reports of a second Asian giant hornets nest in the area are being investigated.

Mid-Island medical health officer Dr. Paul Hasselback earlier told NanaimoNewsNOW Asian giant hornets only prey on other insects, particularly honey bees, but will sting humans if provoked.

The insects produce larger than normal amounts of venom which can be very painful and cause redness, swelling and itching.

Nanaimo Bee Keepers Club director John Holubeshen and his wife discovered the water melon-sized nest.

Holubeshen was stung in the upper chest and another bee club member was hit four times.

Holubeshen said the pain was excruciating.

“It was a constant pain in the chest right up until this morning.”

Carbon dioxide and alcohol was poured on the hornets and their nest.

Asian Giant Hornets are large in size, and have noticeably large orange heads and black eyes.

Worker hornets are approximately 3.5 cm in length and queens can be up to 4-5 cm in length with a wingspan of 4-7cm.

Anybody who spots them is asked to contact the provincial Ministry of Agriculture.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes