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B.C. agriculture officials say they are in contact with their Washington state counterparts after a yellow-legged hornet was found and killed at a cargo port south of the border.

In a statement last week, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) said a grain inspector found the live hornet — also called the southern giant hornet — while inspecting a cargo ship in Vancouver, Wash., on April 30.

The hornets, native to Asia, are considered an invasive species in Canada and the U.S. and can cause serious problems for honey bee populations.

While Washington state officials say they killed the hornet immediately — and subsequent inspections revealed no further evidence of hornets on the ship — officials in B.C. say they’re monitoring the situation.

“The Washington State Department of Agriculture has advised us that there is a low risk of the hornet spreading into B.C.,” said a spokesperson for the Agriculture Ministry in a statement on Wednesday.

The spokesperson added that officials had communication systems in place, both federally and at a local level, and were prepared to respond promptly if a similar situation occurs at a B.C. port.

According to the WSDA, the yellow-legged hornet has spread rapidly throughout Europe, where it has caused a 30 per cent dip in honey bee hives and honey production.

“We are hopeful that this was a one-off interception, which occasionally happens at our ports,” said Sven Spichiger, a pest program manager for the WSDA, in the statement.

Vespa velutina — the species commonly known as the yellow-legged hornet or Asian hornet — constructs its nests above the ground from paper-like materials, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

They feed on a variety of insects, including honey bees, with officials saying hornet nests can be large and contain up to 6,000 worker insects.

“If allowed to establish in the United States, these invasive pests could threaten populations of domestic and feral honey bees – some of which are already endangered – and other native pollinators,” the department says.

A large hornet is seen in a close-up image.The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that yellow-legged hornets possess distinctive features, which include a “wasp waist” and more uniform bands on its abdomen. (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

The WSDA asked for people in the Vancouver, Wash., area to be on the lookout for other yellow-legged hornets, which has distinctive markings that distinguish it from other species.

In 2024, the B.C. government declared the province free of northern giant hornets — a different species colloquially called “murder hornets” — after they started showing up in certain communities.

The prospect of the spread of the northern giant hornets caused great concern at the time, given their ability to destroy bee colonies within a span of a day.

Alison McAfee, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of B.C. who studies honey bee reproductive health, told CBC News in an email that she was unclear on the risk posed by the particular species that was detected at the Washington state port.

“What I can say is that as long as we move cargo by ships, we will also move pests by ships,” she said.

“With [globalized] trade it is only a matter of time for pests, including this hornet and others on beekeepers’ radars, to disperse and have the opportunity to establish in new areas with conducive resources and climates.”

WATCH | Why ‘murder hornets’ were a problem in B.C.:

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