More terrifying information have just come to light about the Asian murder hornets, which have made their way to the United States for the first time in recent weeks. Experts are now speaking out to warn that the insects can chew through human skin and can kill a person with a single sting.

“We’ve been sounding the alarm about this insect for months,” said entomologist Dr. Samuel Ramsey. “[The Asian giant hornet] is a very large insect. About the size of your thumb. It has these very sharp, large mandibles that are attached to these really big muscles that allow it to chew through a lot of different fabrics. They can chew through skin, and they also have a really long stinger.”

The U.K. Sun reported that Ramsey went on to say that the murder hornets have poisonous venom that can destroy human cells and cause excruciating pain. In fact, the murder hornets kill around 50 people per year in Japan.

“That is a large number because most stinging insects that we deal with on a regular basis inject a much smaller amount of venom,” he explained.

Sven-Erik Spichiger, managing entomologist at the Washington state Agriculture Department, warned that due to the enormous size of the hornets, it’s easy for them to inject multiple large doses of their venom when they sting. While humans can likely survive one or two stings, he said more than that could prove to be deadly.

“What we are told from the literature is that most people can survive one or two stings,” he told The Sun. “But if you sustain multiple stings, the necrosis and the venom will actually start getting into your bloodstream and will start working on your organs. And multiple stings could literally be fatal.”

Murder hornets were spotted in the U.S. for the first time in Washington state a few weeks ago, and experts shave said they will make their way to the east coast in the coming weeks and months. The hornets have the ability to destroy entire beehives in just a matter of hours, meaning that they pose a major threat to bees everywhere.