Sensational footage shows a giant deadly hornet killing a mouse that was at least four times its size.

Also known as the “murder hornet,” the species typically attacks bees, but on this occasion the five-centimeter-long creature seemed determined to decimate a larger target.

In a video shared on Twitter of the fight, which lasted about a minute, the monster insect appears to have inflicted several stings on the rodent, after which it tried unsuccessfully to free itself from its grip.

The exact location of the infestation is unknown, but the hornets were recently found in Washington state, DC, where entomologists are making plans to eradicate them.

The giant Asian insect, whose sting can be fatal to some people, has begun to emerge from hibernation.

“They look like they’re from a monster cartoon with their huge yellow-orange faces,” said Susan Cobey, a beekeeper at Washington State University.

“It’s a frighteningly large hornet. It’s a health threat and, more importantly, a major predator of honey bees,” said Todd Murray, WSU Extension entomologist and invasive species specialist.

The hornet was first sighted in the United States last December, when the state Department of Agriculture confirmed two reports near Blaine, Washington state, near the Canadian border.

The hornet can sting through most beekeeper suits, release nearly seven times as much venom as a honey bee and sting multiple times, the agency said, adding that it had ordered special reinforced suits from China.

The university said it is not known how or where the hornets got to North America. They normally live in the forests and low mountain ranges of East and Southeast Asia.

In Japan it was called the “murder hornet” because it is known for killing people.

Their stings are large and painful and contain a powerful neurotoxin. Multiple stings can kill people even if they are not allergic, the university said.

The hornet’s life cycle begins in April, when the queens emerge from hibernation, feed on plant sap and fruit, and search for underground caves to build their nests.

With Associated Press

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