MUST SEE: Scientists in Protective Gear Take Out Murder Hornet Nest in Washington

When we look back at the year 2020, there are plenty of us who will shudder, twitch, groan, or otherwise emote some sort of dubious exasperation, likely wondering why anyone would want to talk about this Godforsaken year.

This is the year that California seemed to just stay on fire.  It’s the year that a global pandemic killed at least 1.2 million people globally and wrecked the world’s economy at the same time.  It’s the year Americans began fighting and killing each other in the name of politics.

Oh, and it’s the year that literal “Murder Hornets” invaded the United States.

It was enough to make even the most grounded among us look to superstition and omens and any otherworldly help we can get.

And maybe, just maybe, the latest news out of Washington State can be the things that helps us turn this all around. 

Space-suited bug specialists successfully vacuumed up a nest of so-called “murder hornets” in Washington state on Saturday, capping a months-long effort to swat back the invasive, bee-slaughtering pest.

“Got ’em,” the Washington State Department of Agriculture tweeted on Saturday afternoon, alongside photos of their efforts.

“Vacuumed out several #AsianGiantHornets from a tree cavity near Blain this morning,” the tweet read.

The footage was stunning, to say the least:

Got ‘em. Vacuumed out several #AsianGiantHornets from a tree cavity near Blaine this morning. Further details will be provided at a press conference on Monday. Staff not available for interviews before then. pic.twitter.com/31kgAUuJd0

— WA St Dept of Agr (@WSDAgov) October 24, 2020

Incredibly, the nest was located only after one of the venomous hornets was distracted with strawberry jelly long enough for scientists to tie a tracking device around the creature with dental floss.

The hornets made their way to the US from Asia, where their stings are responsible for approximately a dozen human deaths per year.