Invasive Yellow-Legged Hornets Emerge In GA: What To Know

State officials are cautioning Georgia residents against an invasive hornet species that has threatened the state's agriculture in the past.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture on Monday encouraged people to stay watchful for yellow-legged hornet embryo and primary nests during overwintering. Officials said this is the time when the queen hornets emerge and establish new nests.

While Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J. Harper issued the warning for all residents, agriculture officials said Georgians may want to especially be vigilant in these counties: Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Liberty and Screven.

Georgia has been working to track, trap and contain the invasive insect for almost three years.

The first sighting of the hornet in the open U.S. was on Aug. 9, 2023 in Savannah, officials said in the past. Shortly after, a second next was found on Wilmington Island near Savannah.

RELATED:

• 2nd Nest Of Dangerous Hornet Species Spotted Near Savannah
• Dangerous Invasive Hornet Species Detected In US For 1st Time In GA

“Since August 2023, the GDA’s Plant Protection team has been actively tracking, trapping, and working to eradicate the invasive yellow-legged hornet from Georgia. As in previous years, we are asking for the public’s continued help," Harper said in a news release.

"Early reporting of embryo and primary nests is critical — it allows us to stop queens before they spread and reduces potential damage to our state’s honeybee population. … By working together, we can protect Georgia’s number one industry — agriculture.”

Officials said early detection was critical as it can lead to removal of the nests and stop the queens from "producing workers, reducing the risk of larger secondary nests later in the year and making long-term control efforts more effective."

Yellow-legged hornets prey on honeybees and impact beekeeping activities, according to the National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine. People are asked to exercise precaution when around these hornets.

Native to Southeast Asia, the yellow-legged hornets can make egg-shaped paper nests above ground, frequently in trees. These nests have the potential to become large homes to an average of 6,000 hornets.

The yellow-legged hornets can also be found in most of Europe, parts of the Middle East and parts of Asia where it is not native, agriculture officials said in the past.

Agriculture officials warned in the past there are several "domestic lookalikes" native to the U.S. that do not threaten honeybees and are considered valuable pollinators. A gallery of these bees can found in a nationwide gallery.

The yellow-legged hornet can be characterized by the following traits, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

• 0.7 inch to 1 inch body length

• Mostly black head with some front-facing yellow or orange and black eyes
• Mostly solid dark brown or black thorax
• Alternating bands of dark brown or black and yellow or orange abdomen
• Brown or black legs near the body, ending in yellow segments

These insects don a “wasp waist” between the thorax and abdomen, federal officials said.

To report a possible sighting of a yellow-legged hornet, complete the state agriculture department's Watch Report Form. People can also email the state agriculture department.