Karla Salp
WSDA Communications
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| Governor Inslee learns to use the tracking equipment that WSDA staff uses to track and eradicate Asian giant hornets in Washington. |
Washington Governor Jay Inslee held a tracking receiver,
looking intently into the woods, carefully listening for “beeps” as he found
his way to the tracking device. Typically, the device is tied to an Asian giant
hornet, used by WSDA staff to track and eradicate the pest.
Since the news that Asian giant hornets had been found in
Washington in 2019, WSDA has been working to rid the state of these pests that
threaten our agricultural vitality. This effort has garnered interest
nationwide and has required research and training for WSDA staff and federal
and neighboring state partners. Governor Inslee joined the crew of hornet
hunters for a day, at the second-annual Asian giant hornet field training day. WSDA
“hornet hunters,” as their hats affectionately call them, spent the day
learning about trapping, tracking, and removing these hornets and their
nests.
The field training day served as an opportunity to
cross-train staff on various aspects of the agency’s hornet response, including
how to build, bait, and check hornet traps, trying on hornet protective suits,
learning about and testing radio hornet tracking equipment, and even simulating
a nest extraction.
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| Eradication coordinator Rian Wojahn shows WSDA staff and Governor Inslee how the vacuum works when removing a nest. |
Governor Inslee was an enthusiastic participant and WSDA’s
Pest Program was ready to provide hands-on opportunities for the Governor to
see all that is involved with the tricky task of eradicating hornets:
· Hornet suits – Outreach coordinator Cassie Cichorz demonstrated donning the hornet suit the team wears when eradicating hornet nests. Governor Inslee learned the “inside tricks” such as wearing a hard hat inside the suit to not only protect the staff member but help keep the suit hood propped up and easier to see out of.
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Tracking devices – Eradication
coordinator Rian Wojahn explained how the program uses radio tags about the
size of a Tic Tac to track the hornets. The governor then got to work with
Nathan Chambers to use the tracking receiver and follow the “beeps” to locate a
tag the team had hidden – and he found it!
Education and outreach – Many of the
outreach materials the team has created were on-hand and the Governor was able
to learn about the extensive efforts WSDA has put into educating and engaging
with the public about the importance of finding and eradicating hornets for our
honey bees.
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| Nest extraction example. |
Visiting area zero
In addition to getting a close-up look at WSDA’s
hornet-hunting tools, Governor Inslee also visited the area where the hornets
have been the most active over the past two years. Several of the families that
have actively supported the state’s hornet response - and which had hornets on
their property at one time – met with the Governor and shared their experiences
with the hornets.
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| Outreach Coordinator Cassie Cichorz shows Governor Inslee how to put on the "hornet suit." |
Critical to success: public and leadership support
The Governor dedicated the entire morning to visiting and
learning about the hornet response from both the public as well as state and
federal agencies. Taking that amount of time demonstrated just how important
this project is to the Governor, as well as the rest of the state’s legislative
leadership. The governor’s visit – spending time with both the public as well
as the program – was emblematic of the collaborative approach that has made
Washington’s Asian giant hornet response a model for the nation.