First the coronavirus and now “murder hornets”? What else will 2020 bring us?

An invasion of giant two-inch hornets, known as “murder hornets,” has become the latest of our concerns. Here's what you need to know about the predators and the efforts being made to hold off an invasion.

The giant insects get their ferocious name because they have the potential to annihilate honeybee populations.

They're like something out of a monster cartoon with this huge yellow-orange face, says bee breeders.

The giant hornet, or vespa mandarinia, was first spotted in the United States in December, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture. The insects are native to Japan. The term “murder hornet” began trending recently after a report on efforts to stop the species from attacking honey bees.

The two-inch long hornets have black bodies and mandibles shaped like shark fins that help them kill. Their long stingers are strong enough to puncture a beekeeper's suit.

The giant hornets can decapitate honeybees and destroy entire hives in the span of just a few hours, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

Murder hornets have longer stingers with toxic venom that could potentially pose a danger to people if the insects feel threatened. The giant hornets can also sting repeatedly.

And while humans are not the prey that murder hornets typically target, if provoked, they can kill people, too. The hornets on average kill about 50 people per year in Japan. In 2013, 42 Chinese people died and more than 1,600 were injured from the hornets' stings.The key to stopping the invasion is finding and destroying murder hornet nests before they can reproduce.

People are being urged to report nest sightings to local authorities and to avoid trying to kill the hornets themselves.

Murder hornets. Sure thing, 2020…We can take most anything.

Ed Townsend provides year around "Beyond The News"coverage in this column with over 60-years of photojournalism analysis and insight. The column can also be read on his Web blog at http://bght.blogspot.com