VANCOUVER — Officials in British Columbia and Washington state will release their battle plan today to try to wipe out Asian giant hornets. 

Also dubbed the murder hornet, the invasive wasps have been found in communities along both sides of the Canada-U.S. border and on Vancouver Island. 

Last year, scientists in Whatcom County along the border found a nest with 500 live specimens at various stages of development, including 200 queens with the potential to start their own nests. 

A statement says the joint announcement today by officials in the B.C. and Washington state departments of agriculture along with U.S. federal agencies will focus on collaborating on plans to track, trap and eradicate the hornets. 

Scientists say the hornets, which are about five centimetres long with a seven centimetre wingspan, can quickly kill adult honey bees in a hive for the honey and larvae inside. 

The statement says part of their plan to eradicate the hornet will depend on public reporting, which has been crucial in locating the hornets so far. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2021. 

The Canadian Press