Researchers in Washington State are on lookout for the invasive Asian murder hornet after the insect made its first appearance in the US. Washington state verified reports of the Asian giant hornet in two western cities.
The Asian giant hornet is the world’s largest hornet and can kill humans with multiple stings. These hornets kill bees and use the bee thoraxes to feed their young. They can wipe out a honeybee hive in a matter of hours.
The hornets are about the size of an adult thumb, with a yellow and orange head. They are most destructive in the late summer and early fall. One telltale sign they have visited a hive is the remains of decapitated bees.