'Murder hornets' have been spotted in the United States for the first time ever.
Hornet
The creatures, which can grow up to two inches long, get their name for their brutal methods of killing bees.
According to the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), the insects were first spotted in the state back in December and have also been seen in Canada.
WSDA said: ''A few hornets can destroy a hive in a matter of hours.
The hornets enter a 'slaughter phase' where they kill bees by decapitating them. They then defend the hive as their own, taking the brood to feed their own young.''
The New York Times newspaper reported that beehives in Washington had been already been wiped out by the hornets and revealed that the lethal creatures have even killed people in Japan.