Aug. 15 (UPI) — A yellow-legged hornet native to Southeast Asia has been discovered in Georgia for the first time, raising concerns for its effect on state agriculture if left unchecked.
The Vespa velutina hornets are known to kill bees and attack hives, which could severely affect the state’s agriculture sector and its honey production, officials said Tuesday in announcing the find.
A Savannah beekeeper reported seeing one of the hornets to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, which confirmed it was a yellow-legged hornet, making it the first detection of a live yellow-legged hornet in the United States.
“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,” the GDA said in a statement Tuesday.
The department says it is working on a strategy alongside the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to trap potential yellow-legged hornets in Georgia and eradicate any colonies that are discovered.
“Our partnership is already paying off as our teams come together to apply the science and technology in our response planning. The public can also play a critical role by reporting potential sightings of the hornet to help eradicate this pest,” said APHIS’s Deputy Administrator of Plant Protection and Quarantine Program Mark Davidson.
The GDA is asking the public to be vigilant and keep an eye out for the hornets or their nests, which can be home to thousands of hornets.
“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 the University of Georgia and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for working swiftly to confirm its identify,” said Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper.
“Our experienced team of professionals will continue to assess the situation and are working directly with USDA APHIS and UGA to trap, track, and eradicate the yellow-legged Hornet in Georgia,” Harper continued.
The GDA and APHIS say they will provide outreach to help the public identify the harmful hornets.
In 2020, the Washington State Department of Agriculture rushed to eradicate a nest of giant Asian hornets, fearing they could enter what scientists call “the slaughter phase.”
