Murder Hornets

Monstrous 'murder hornets' have reached the US

By Mindy Weisberger - Senior Writer 34 minutes ago

Native to Asia, the giant insects rip off the heads of honeybees by the thousands.  Comments (0)

Vespa mandarinia, or Asian giant hornets, as also known as "yak-killer hornets," "murder hornets," and "hornets from hell."

(Image: © Shutterstock)

Massive, deadly hornets affectionately known as "murder hornets" "hornets from hell" and "yak-killer hornets," have been spotted in the U.S. for the first time.

These Asian giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia) are the size of your thumb; they're orange-headed and orange-striped; and they're extremely pointy at the back end. The hornets, which were detected in Washington state, prey on bees and are known for ripping the heads off honeybees by the thousands, The New York Times reported on May 2. Enormous curved stingers and powerful venom make the hornets uniquely dangerous to humans, and their stings are responsible for as many as 50 deaths in Japan each year, mostly due to allergic reactions to the venom, according to the Times.

V. mandarinia is native to forests and low-altitude mountains in eastern and southeastern Asia, but troubling evidence suggests that the hornet is beginning to make some headway in North America. Now entomologists are racing against the clock to learn how widespread the invaders are in the U.S., and to isolate and destroy invasive populations before the hornets become so numerous that they settle in for good, the Times reported./.../