Invasive Yellow-Legged Hornet Discovered in US, Officials Raise Concerns

Georgia beekeepers are concerned after an invasive species was detected for the very first time in the United States.

Based on a statement released by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the unusual-looking hornet was spotted earlier this month by a Savannah, Georgia beekeeper who instantly reported it to the agency. 

In collaboration with the University of Georgia and the U.S. The bug was recognized as an invasive yellow-legged hornet by the Department of Agriculture earlier this month, indicating the first observation of the species in “the open United States.” 

In accordance with the GDA, if the species creates a population, it could endanger honey production and local pollinators.

What Is the Origin of the Yellow-Legged Hornet?

Based to the GDA, Vespa Velutina, frequently identified as the Asian hornet or yellow-legged hornet, originally native to tropical and subtropical Southeast Asia, but it has developed a foothold as an invasive species throughout most of Europe, portions of the Middle East, and parts of Asia.

Every year, the species builds egg-shaped paper nests, with enormous colonies of up to 6,000 pears in size and productivity around mid to late summer.

The hornets, claimed to the GDA, feast on a range of large insects and prey upon colonies of honeybees as well as other pollinators that are important to the health of the US ecosystem. 

In Georgia, they specifically endanger agriculture, the state’s main economic driver.

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What to Do if You Spot a Yellow-Legged Hornet

If you think you have seen a yellow-legged hornet, you can fill out a form with the GDA. You can also contact us by email at [email protected]. 

In addition, the GDA requests that you submit the following details with any form submission:

• Name and contact details
• Date and location of the sighting
• A photograph of the hornet, if possible. If not, please describe the size of the bug, the color of its head and body, as well as what it was doing.
• The approximate spot and height of the nest (if found)
• The direction in which the hornet(s) flew away

Source: USATODAY

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