US state has trapped its first 'murder hornet'

Washington state in the US has trapped its first Asian giant hornet or the "murder hornet."

More than two inches long, the hornets get their nickname from their propensity to attack and kill honeybees and potentially, people.

Up until now, five giant hornets had officially been sighted in the state. This is the first one found in a trap.

Officials announced on Friday that they had identified the Asian giant hornet earlier this week from a trap collected near Birch Bay on July 14.

The state's agriculture department further plans to deploy special traps that will catch the hornets and keep them alive so they can be tagged and tracked back to their colonies. Once the agency finds the colonies, they'll destroy them.

The hope is to find the nest by mid-September before the colony begins creating new reproducing queens and drones, the statement said.

Washington state agricultural officials are now asking beekeepers and residents to report any sightings of the giant hornets. August and September are when they're most likely to be spotted.