Asian 'Murder hornets' have arrived in the U.S., can kill 40 bees a minute

Dubbed the 'murder hornet,' the Asian giant hornet is believed to have been spotted back in late 2019 in Washington. And predictions say Arizona and the East Coast are next.

The world's largest wasp that is two inches long and that can pierce through a beekeeper's suit are a threat to honeybees as well as humans. The insects are known for killing people in their native habitats. In Japan, an average of 30 to 50 people each year die from the hornets’ stings. They killed 42 people in one single Chinese province. Most serious incidents occur when people come near or disturb the insects’ hives. No one is saying how the hornets arrived, but it is believed they most likely got "accidentally" trapped in shipping containers from one of the countries where they’re native. Entomologists plan to lure and trap the Asian hornet queens specifically at the beginning of July to prevent a spread across the country.

Sources:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/05/why-asian-giant-hornets-have-painful-stings/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/05/asian-giant-hornets-arrive-united-states/