Birch Bay beekeeper speaks at Smithsonian

Birch Bay beekeeper Ruthie Danielsen, c., spoke about citizen scientists’ effort to eradicate the northern giant hornets, also known as “murder hornets,” at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum on October 7. Danielsen, a member of the Mt. Baker Beekeepers Association, has helped Washington State Department of Agriculture scientists track the world’s largest hornet since it arrived in Blaine in fall 2019. She purchased the first hornet nest that was eradicated in the U.S. in October 2020 and donated it to the Smithsonian, where it went on display in July.