PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — The northern giant hornet, an invasive species native to Asia that’s capable of devastating local honeybee populations, was possibly found near Horseshoe Lake on Oct. 3, roughly 10 miles northeast of Gig Harbor, Wash. on the Kitsap Peninsula.
The sighting was reported through the Washington State Department of Agriculture website . The report included a photo of the insect next to a penny for scale.
“Found a long dead hornet in Port Orchard, Wash. in the windowsill of a house near Horseshoe Lake,” the report reads. “It is much larger than any I’ve ever seen before.”
The report prompted a concerning response from a WSDA entomologist, who unofficially confirmed the sighting…