BLAINE, Wash. - Beekeepers are fretting about a deadly threat from Asia. Deadly hornets from Asia that measure up to 2 inches long have been found for the first time in the U.S., with researchers worried that the insects are colonizing, the New York Post reported Saturday.
The “murder hornets,” as the aggressive insects are known, can wipe out bee colonies within hours and have stingers long and powerful enough to puncture beekeeping suits, according to the paper.
In Japan, the hornets kill up to 50 people a year, according to The New York Times. CORONAVIRUS MAKES IT HARDER TO BATTLE SWARMS OF LOCUSTS RAVAGING AFRICA In the state of Washington, beekeepers have already seen the hornets devastate their hives, according to the paper.