Invasive hornet confirmed in Georgia

“The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) announced Aug. 14, in coordination with USDA and the University of Georgia, that the presence of a Yellow-Legged Hornet in Georgia has been confirmed for the first time. GDA is asking the public to report any sightings of the Yellow-Legged Hornet, a non-native hornet species, that, if allowed to establish in Georgia, could potentially threaten honey production, native pollinators and our state’s number one industry – agriculture.

Earlier this month, a beekeeper in Savannah found an unusual hornet on his property and reported it to the GDA. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the University of Georgia’s (UGA) identification of the insect as a yellow-legged hornet (YLH; Vespa velutina). 

“Georgians play an important role helping GDA identify unwanted, non-native pests, and I want to thank the beekeeper who reported his sighting to us, as well as our partners at University of Georgia and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for working swiftly to confirm its identity,” said Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. “Our experienced team of professionals will continually assess the situation and are working directly with USDA APHIS to trap, track, and eliminate the Yellow-Legged Hornet in Georgia.”

“GDA’s website has more information on the yellow-legged hornet and an easily accessible form to report potential sightings. This information is displayed on the homepage of the website. Georgians with additional questions or concerns are encouraged to email yellow.legged.hornet@agr.georgia.gov.

“When submitting a report, including name and contact information, the location of the sighting/attack, date of sighting/attack, any photographs that can be safely taken, the location and altitude of a nest if found or a description of the insect and what it was doing.

“There are many domestic lookalikes that are native to the United States and do not pose a threat to honeybees. Many of them are valuable pollinators. USDA has a photo gallery of lookalikes. To get to the gallery, go to aphis.usda.gov, and search for “yellow-legged hornet.”

The yellow-legged hornet is a social wasp species that constructs egg-shaped paper nests above ground, often in trees. These nests can become large, housing an average of 6,000 workers. The yellow-legged hornet is native to tropical and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia. It is also established in France and has been found throughout Western Europe.

The GDA has a team of experienced scientists in their Pest Program, and we are actively collaborating with USDA and academic experts. Together, we are developing an operational plan to trap, track, and eradicate the yellow-legged hornet in Georgia. The plan will begin with trapping, and APHIS and GDA will set out traps and survey for this pest to determine if additional yellow-legged hornets are in the area. If a colony is discovered through reporting, trapping, or tracking, the colony will be eradicated. APHIS is providing technical expertise, technology, and outreach support as well as analyzing the hornet’s DNA to determine if it is related to European populations of this species.”The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) announced Aug. 14, in coordination with USDA and the University of Georgia, that the presence of a Yellow-Legged Hornet in Georgia has been confirmed for the first time. GDA is asking the public to report any sightings of the Yellow-Legged Hornet, a non-native hornet species, that, if allowed to establish in Georgia, could potentially threaten honey production, native pollinators and our state’s number one industry – agriculture.

Earlier this month, a beekeeper in Savannah found an unusual hornet on his property and reported it to the GDA. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the University of Georgia’s (UGA) identification of the insect as a yellow-legged hornet (YLH; Vespa velutina). 

“Georgians play an important role helping GDA identify unwanted, non-native pests, and I want to thank the beekeeper who reported his sighting to us, as well as our partners at University of Georgia and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for working swiftly to confirm its identity,” said Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. “Our experienced team of professionals will continually assess the situation and are working directly with USDA APHIS to trap, track, and eliminate the Yellow-Legged Hornet in Georgia.”

GDA’s website has more information on the yellow-legged hornet and an easily accessible form to report potential sightings. This information is displayed on the homepage of the website. Georgians with additional questions or concerns are encouraged to email yellow.legged.hornet@agr.georgia.gov.

When submitting a report, including name and contact information, the location of the sighting/attack, date of sighting/attack, any photographs that can be safely taken, the location and altitude of a nest if found or a description of the insect and what it was doing.

There are many domestic lookalikes that are native to the United States and do not pose a threat to honeybees. Many of them are valuable pollinators. USDA has a photo gallery of lookalikes. To get to the gallery, go to aphis.usda.gov, and search for “yellow-legged hornet.”

The yellow-legged hornet is a social wasp species that constructs egg-shaped paper nests above ground, often in trees. These nests can become large, housing an average of 6,000 workers. The yellow-legged hornet is native to tropical and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia. It is also established in France and has been found throughout Western Europe.

The GDA has a team of experienced scientists in their Pest Program, and we are actively collaborating with USDA and academic experts. Together, we are developing an operational plan to trap, track, and eradicate the yellow-legged hornet in Georgia. The plan will begin with trapping, and APHIS and GDA will set out traps and survey for this pest to determine if additional yellow-legged hornets are in the area. If a colony is discovered through reporting, trapping, or tracking, the colony will be eradicated. APHIS is providing technical expertise, technology, and outreach support as well as analyzing the hornet’s DNA to determine if it is related to European populations of this species.