Researchers and citizens of Washington State in a careful search for invasive "wasps killing", after the insect first appeared in the United States .

The Asian giant hornet is the world’s largest hornet and can kill humans with multiple stings. But it is most dangerous for the European honeybee, which is defenseless in the face of the hornet’s spiky mandibles, long stinger and potent venom.

Washington state verified four reports of Asian giant hornets in two north-western cities in December. The species becomes more active in April, prompting local officials to invite the public to help beekeepers by creating their own hornet traps.

It’s a shockingly large hornet,” Todd Murray, Washington State University Extension entomologist and invasive species specialist, said in a statement. “It’s a health hazard, and more importantly, a significant predator of honeybees.”

Murray said it was important for people to learn to recognize the insect now, while the population was small and still new to the area.

We need to teach people how to recognize this hornet while the population is small , "so that we can eliminate it while we still have a chance .

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 .