#Washington state traps its first murder hornet

Just when you thought they were gone… they came buzzing back in.

Washington has finally managed to trap its first live murder hornet — months after the invasive species was first spotted in the state, officials announced Friday.

The jumbo stinger was captured in a bottle trap near Birch Bay on July 14 and identified earlier this week as an Asian giant hornet, the Washington State Department of Agriculture said in a statement.

“This is encouraging because it means we know that the traps work,” Sven Spichiger, managing entomologist for the department said. “But it also means we have work to do.”

Now, scientists are racing against the clock. They will need to tag as many live hornets as possible and then follow them home to find the rest of the colony.

The plan is to eradicate the colonies before the hornets begin to mate and reproduce in mid-September.

“Destroying the nest before new queens emerge and mate will prevent the spread of this invasive pest,” the agency said.

The invasive insect, which can grow up to 2 inches long, are a threat to honey bees — which they can decapitate in seconds. during mass attacks on hives.

While a sting to humans isn’t usually fatal, the host of an extreme nature show described being stung as “Searing pain! Absolute searing pain!” Japan attributes 50 human deaths a year to the nasty buzzers.

Scientists aren’t sure how the the world’s largest hornet, which is native to Asia, ended up in Washington State.

It was first spotted there late last year, and and there have been at least five sightings.

Officials have since set over 1,300 traps in their hunt for hornets, and they’ll now also use infrared cameras and place additional traps in order to catch the the insects alive.