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The Asian Giant Hornet is a predatory species that feeds on bees, other hornets and mantises (Wikipedia (2021)). "This hornet often attacks both colonies of other Vespa species (V. simillima being the usual prey species) and honey bee hives to obtain the adults, pupae, and larvae as food for their own larvae". (Wikipedia (2021)).

This species poses a major threat to apiculture.

Efforts are underway to eradicate this species in Washington State. Two nests were recently destroyed there and a third nest will be eradicated shortly.

This is primarily a ground-nesting species but sometimes nests in trees: e.g. a nest was found 2.5 metres (8.3 ft) above ground in a cavity of a tree in Blaine, Washington.

Wikipedia (2021) provides the following detailed documentation of occurrences in the Pacific Northwest:

"The first confirmed sightings of the Asian giant hornet in North America were confirmed in 2019 and it has mainly been concentrated in the Vancouver area, with nests also discovered in neighboring Whatcom County, Washington, in the United States.

- In August 2019, three hornets were found in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, and a large nest was found and destroyed shortly thereafter;

- At the end of September, a worker was reported in Blaine, Washington.

- Another worker was found in Blaine in October;

- On 8 December 2019, another worker was found in Blaine;

- Two specimens were collected in May 2020, one from Langley, British Columbia, about 13 kilometres (8 miles) north of Blaine, and one from Custer, Washington, 14 km (9 mi) southeast of Blaine.

- One queen sighting on 6 June 2020, from Bellingham, Washington, 24 km (15 mi) south of Custer

- An unmated queen was trapped on 14 July 2020, near Birch Bay, Washington, 10 km (6 mi) west of Custer.

- A male hornet was captured in Custer, Washington on 29 July 2020.

- A hornet of unknown caste was reported on 18 August 2020, in Birch Bay, and another was trapped in the same area the following day.

- Three hornets were seen (and two killed) southeast of Blaine on 21 and 25 September 2020, and three more were found in the same area on 29 and 30 September, prompting officials to report that attempts were underway to pinpoint and destroy a nest believed to be in the area.

- On 23 October 2020, the Washington State Department of Agriculture announced that a nest was found 2.5 metres (8.3 ft) above ground in a cavity of a tree in Blaine, with dozens of hornets entering and leaving. The nest was eradicated the next day, including the immediate discovery and removal of about 100 hornets. After further analysis, it was determined that the nest had contained about 500 live specimens, including about 200 queens. Some of these specimens were sent to the Smithsonian Institution to become a part of the NMNH Biorepository permanent cryogenic collection. It was announced that several undiscovered live nests were also believed to exist within Washington State, when considering the captures of individual hornets in Birch, Blaine, and Custer that were all relatively far from the discovered nest. However, cautious optimism was expressed by officials saying that it might still be possible to eradicate the hornets before they can become established in the area. A Canadian official said that although individual specimens had been found in Canada and some nests were suspected to exist there, the presence there seemed to be only in near-border regions, and the center of the invasion seemed to be in Washington State.

- On 2 November 2020, one individual was found in Abbotsford, BC. As a result the BC government asked Abbotsford beekeepers and residents to report any sightings.

- On 7 November 2020, a queen was found in Aldergrove, BC.

- On 11 August 2021, a nest was discovered in Whatcom County, Washington near Blaine, only 2 miles (3.2 km) from the nest WSDA eradicated in 2020. This nest was destroyed two weeks later on 25 August, before it could produce new queens."