The hornets represent a significant threat to Western honeybees, which have no innate defence against them.
"These predictions are scientific sleuthing," Javier Illan, an entomologist from Washington State University and author of the study, said in a statement."We're making an educated guess on how fast and far these insects can move, their rate of success in establishing a nest, and offering different scenarios, from least bad to worst. No one has done this before for this species.
If the hornets are not contained, they could spread"rapidly" throughout western North America, according to computer simulations conducted by the scientists. When considering regional spread only, the scientists predicted that the hornets could reach northern Oregon in 10 years. And over a period of 20 years, they could have spread throughout western regions of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, reaching as far south as southern Oregon.
A lot also depends on whether or not the hornet can establish a solid foothold in its current adopted home in northwestern North America, as well as the effectiveness of containment efforts. The United States Department of Agriculture and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's Plant Protection and Quarantine program are currently trying to eliminate the invasive insect before it gains a foothold.
A sample specimen of a dead Asian giant hornet from Japan, also known as a"murder hornet," is shown on July 29 in Bellingham, Washington.But if the hornets do manage to establish a permanent presence, there is a chance they could spread much further than the west coast if they are given a little help by humans, who are often responsible for inadvertently transporting invasive species around the world.
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