Discovery of Yellow-Legged Hornet Confirmed in Georgia for the First Time.

Atlanta, GA - Today, The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) announced, in coordination with USDA and the University of Georgia, confirmation of the detection of a living yellow-legged hornet in Georgia for the first time. This is the first detection of a live yellow-legged hornet in the open 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.
Earlier this month, a beekeeper in Savannah, GA, found an unusual hornet on his property and reported it to the GDA. On August 9, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the University of Georgia’s (UGA) identification of this 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 the University of Georgia and USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service for working swiftly to confirm its identity," 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. "
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 most of Europe, parts of the Middle East, and parts of Asia where it isn’t native.
It is a relative of the Asian giant hornet or northern giant hornet, which was found in Washington state in 2019, CBS News reported.
The state Department of Agriculture said the hornets can not only be dangerous, but they can also threaten honey production, native pollinators and agriculture. The agency is working with the USDA and academics to come up with an “operational plan to trap, track, and eradicate the yellow-legged hornet in Georgia.”
They are asking the public for help in reporting sightings but remind people that there are domestic lookalikes that pose no danger to honeybees, WSB reported.
The queen wasp is typically 1.2 in. in length, males, .95 in., and workers, .80 in.

 

See much more at:
https://agr.georgia.gov/pr/discovery-yellow-legged-hornet-confirmed-georgia-first-time