More specimens of invasive, bee-eating hornets that could threaten production of some of the state’s most valuable crops have been confirmed in coastal Georgia and a second nest has been eradicated, state officials announced Wednesday.
The second nest was located Sept. 15 under a bridge on Wilmington Island near Savannah and was destroyed later that day, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said at a press conference. The discovery came just over three weeks after officials tracked down the first hive, which was found high in a tree, also on Wilmington Island. That nest was dispatched by a pest control company on Aug. 23.
The first yellow-legged hornet discovered in Georgia was spotted by a beekeeper near Savannah in early August, marking the first-ever confirmed detection of the species in the wild in the U.S.
So far, there have been confirmed sightings of the hornets at 12 separate locations in coastal Georgia, all in the areas of Wilmington Island, Whitemarsh Island and Thunderbolt. Of those, officials said nine detections were reported to the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) by citizens and three were captured in traps set by staff.
GDA and its partners have placed 134 traps around the Savannah area, and Harper said his agency has two teams on the ground checking and setting more.
“While our efforts on the ground continue, it is important to note that this is a significant victory and another step forward for our state and for our agricultural industry as we fight the establishment of the hornet in the state of Georgia,” Harper said.
Yellow-legged hornets, known by the scientific name Vespa velutina, are native to Southeast Asia. They are close relatives of the Northern giant hornet, also known as the “murder hornet,” another invasive species that turned up in Washington state in 2019. While Washington officials have not declared the “murder hornets” officially eradicated, there have been no confirmed sightings in the state or elsewhere in the U.S. since 2021.
They also resemble several other species already found in Georgia, but have distinctive yellow tips on the ends of their legs. It is the insects’ aggressive behavior toward honeybees, however, that really sets them apart from native species. Yellow-legged hornets are voracious predators known to dive-bomb unsuspecting honeybees as they enter or exit their hives, earning them the nickname “bee hawk.”
Their nests are also much larger than those constructed by other insects, University of Georgia experts have said. Nests of bald-faced hornets, a common species in Georgia, typically house 500 to 600 individuals. The massive, tan nests that yellow-legged hornets construct can hold 10 times that many.
Credit: Danel Solabarrieta
Credit: Danel Solabarrieta
In a sign of potential good news, Harper said experts from the University of Georgia (UGA) and the University of Florida examined both nests and found no signs that the insects had begun producing founder queens and mating males yet, which are needed to start new colonies.
Still, the trajectory of the species’ spread in Georgia and beyond will be determined by what happens this fall and winter, said Tim Davis, an entomologist with UGA.
Queens and males begin mating in the final months of the year, before the queens set off to establish new nests. That means it is critical to eliminate any remaining hives before the pests start reproducing, Davis said.
“If there are nests out there that we don’t find, we’ll get dispersal and we’ll have to start this process all over again,” he said.
Harper said local beekeepers have been critical to tracking efforts so far and thanked them for their help. Several in the Savannah area have spotted the hornets’ waging their trademark “hawking” attacks at the entrances to their hives and have notified state authorities.
If they can do it safely, Harper added that it is most helpful for citizens to catch suspected yellow-legged hornets and keep them alive. The department has been using a technique called “bee lining,” where live specimens are released and the pests are followed back to their nests.
“If you’re a commercial beekeeper and you find a hornet, please report it and please, if you’re able to, keep it alive,” Harper said.
The hornets’ arrival in Georgia has sparked concern among beekeepers and the state’s agriculture industry.
Globally, bees and pollinators are already facing steep declines because of parasites, climate change, pesticide use and other human activity. If the hornet is able to gain a foothold in Georgia, experts have warned it could have a devastating impact on pollinators and in turn, the state’s agriculture industry.
All told, Georgia’s pollinator-dependent crops are worth an estimated $430 million annually, UGA experts have said. Blueberries, watermelons, cantaloupes, squashes and cucumbers all rank among Georgia’s most valuable food crops, and all rely on honeybees and other pollinators to ensure bountiful harvests.
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What to do if you spot a yellow-legged hornet
- Report possible sightings to the Georgia Department of Agriculture via their online form available at https://agr.georgia.gov/yellow-legged-hornet.
- Take a photograph at a safe distance, if possible.
- Check to ensure the insect is indeed a yellow-legged hornet. A photo gallery of native pollinators and lookalikes can be accessed at www.aphis.usda.gov by searching for “yellow-legged hornet.”
- If you can safely trap the insect alive, state officials say to do so, as the individuals can help experts locate potential nests.
- Send questions or comments to yellow.legged.hornet@agr.georgia.gov
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