The Asian Giant Hornet, which kills up to 50 people a year in Japan, has been spotted in the United States for the first time. These hornets, called murder hornets in the media, have a potent venom and stinger—at ¼ inch long, their huge stinger is long enough to puncture a beekeeping suit. Victims have likened their sting to hot metal driving into their skin. And a single hornet can sting repeatedly without dying.

These hornets are especially a threat to honeybees, one of their favorite foods. Just a few of the hornets can destroy an entire hive of honeybees in just a few hours. They cut off the honeybee heads, and carry the thorax and bee larvae and pupae back to feed their own young.

Last fall the first Asian Giant Hornets were discovered both in Washington, and across the border in Vancouver Island, British Columbia. An entire nest of the hornets was discovered and destroyed on Vancouver Island, and two single wasps were discovered in Washington. A genetic analysis showed that the Washington wasps did not come from the same colony that was destroyed. Traps have been placed over a huge area to see where more hornets turn up. Hopefully these hornets can be found and eliminated soon, because with each passing month they are more likely to spread and become more difficult to eliminate.

Asian Giant Hornets are the largest hornets in the world. The queen is enormous at over 2 inches long. Workers are about 1 ½ inches long. They have a 3 inch wingspan and can fly 25 mph and an amazing 60 miles in a day. They have orange/yellow heads and orange and black/brown striped bodies.