The Georgia Department of Agriculture is working to eradicate invasive yellow-legged hornets to protect the state's honeybees and agriculture.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture is actively working to track and eradicate yellow-legged hornets, an invasive species that threatens the state's honeybees and agriculture. In August, the department's Plant Protection team found 1,090 hornets and 60 nests while checking nearly 8,000 traps across the state. Originally from Southeast Asia, the yellow-legged hornet was first detected in Georgia in 2023. The hornets are known for their "hawking" behavior, where they wait outside of beehives to ambush and hunt honeybees. This predatory behavior can stress the bees, making them reluctant to leave their hives. To combat the spread of the species, the department deployed 48 new traps in August. Officials are urging residents to stay vigilant and keep an eye out for the egg-shaped paper nests. The department has established an email contact for the public to report sightings of the hornets or their nests.
Sources
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Invasive yellow-legged hornets from Asia butcher bees in the Lowcountry
South Carolina Public Radio
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More than 1,000 Yellow-Legged Hornets found in Georgia this month
WSB-TV
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Over 1,000 invasive hornets found across Georgia in August as officials continue fighting threat
CBS News
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‘Holy honey’: Invasive hornets force relocation of historic Bluffton church’s honeybees
WTOC