In case 2020 couldn’t have gotten any worse as a year, giant “Murder Hornets” thought it was a good time to arrive on U.S. soil.
According to a Saturday report from The New York Times, the Asian giant hornet — delightfully dubbed “Murder Hornets” — have been spotted in parts of Washington and British Columbia, Canada for the first time. The hornets, which are indeed giant, have a stinger that’s capable of penetrating a regular beekeeper suit. The hornets also can kill human if that person is stung multiple times.
Though the primary concern about these hornets arriving to North America concerns the bee population — these hornets kill entire hives of honeybees just to feast on larva — the prospect of running into a three-inch hornet is terrifying.
And, well, a video of YouTuber Coyote Peterson letting a Murder Hornet sting him will do nothing to quell those fears. (Note: Sting happens around the 11-minute mark).
In an effort to measure up the world’s most painful stings, Peterson tracked down the giant hornet in Japan and intentionally took a sting from the insect.
To Peterson’s misfortune, the Murder Hornet’s stinger actually got caught and dislodged into his arm, which caused way more venom than he anticipated to get released. His arm swelled up at a stunning rate and he was in a near-incapacitating amount of pain.
So, uh, yeah, if you see one of these hornets in person, run away and call a local department of agriculture.
