It sounds like the title of a cheesy horror movie. Murder hornets are 2020's latest headline and for the first time in history, they've made their way to North America.

"They feed on the honey and they also feed on the bees themselves, " says Bruce Zimmer, past President of the Columbiana and Mahoning County Beekeeper's Association.

The Vespa Mandarina, nicknamed murder hornets comes from the tendency of it to decapitate a honey bee and feed the body to their young. Once one hornet finds a hive, hundreds could wipe out a hive in just one day. They typically range over two inches long and pose a major threat to honey bees and the crops they pollinate.

"Honey bees also pollinate about 70% of our vegetable crops; apples, most fruits, most vegetables are pollinated by honey bees. If they really do get established and start working their way across the country, we could really have a big problem in the pollination of most of our food sources," adds Zimmer.

The Asian giant hornet was discovered in Washington state and Vancouver in late 2019 likely brought over via shipping crates but what are the odds of the hornet spreading across the country and affecting hives here in the Valley?

"The distance they're going to travel is not going to be hundreds of miles it may only be five or ten as they expand from one year to the next. It's quite a few miles from here to the state of Washington so it could be 5 to 10 years before they make it here," adds Zimmer.

Zimmer says there are already efforts in place to eliminate the Asian giant hornet popular on the west coast before they are able to expand.