Agriculture officials are raising the alarm after an invasive yellow-legged hornet was seen near Savannah, Ga. The insects are devastatingly effective at preying on honeybees and other pollinators.
“This is the first time a live specimen of this species has been detected in the open United States,” the Georgia Department of Agriculture said, after confirming the insect’s presence with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Georgia.
The yellow-legged hornet, Vespa velutina, is native to Southeast Asia. It’s a close cousin of the northern giant hornet, Vespa mandarinia, also known as the Asian giant hornet — or, more frighteningly, “murder hornet,” for the deadly and violent havoc it wreaks on bee colonies.
The yellow-legged hornet poses a threat not only to honey producers but also to the farming industry. Honey bees play important roles in producing a number of crops, such as almonds, cherries, oranges and other fruits.
Noting agriculture’s importance as Georgia’s largest industry, the state agency says, “it is imperative that these invasive pests are tracked and eradicated.”
Bee pollination adds some $15 billion to crops’ value, the Food and Drug Administration said in 2018.
“About one-third of the food eaten by Americans comes from crops pollinated by honey bees, including apples, melons, cranberries, pumpkins, squash, broccoli, and almonds,” the agency said.
The Georgia agriculture agency says it’s working with the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the University of Georgia to trap, track and eradicate the new threat to pollinators.
The newly spotted hornet can be identified by its yellow-tipped legs and dark abdomen, which has yellow bands that widen toward the insect’s rear. Georgia officials are asking the public to report possible sightings.
Vespa Velutina has arrived in my country a couple of years ago and believe me they are not only terrifying to look at they are reproducing super fast. I live in a major city and we are getting infested at a crazy rate. Last summer I could see about a hundred of them in about an hour just staring through my window. We have fruit trees and they came by the dozen to feed on them. This is not the same drama as the killer bee thing back then.
