An invasive hornet was discovered for the first time in the United States this week, officials said, posing a threat to native pollinators and imperiling honey production.
The yellow-legged hornet, also known as an Asian hornet, was detected by a beekeeper in Savannah, Georgia, earlier this month, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the University of Georgia’s identification of this insect on Aug. 9.
Now, officials are advising residents to be on the lookout for the hornet, which creates egg-shaped paper nests, often in trees, that can house an average of 6,000 workers. Photos of the pest can be viewed here.
“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 in a release. “Our experienced team of professionals will continue to assess the situation and are working directly with USDA APHIS and UGA [University of Georgia] to trap, track, and eradicate the yellow-legged hornet in Georgia.”
The yellow-legged hornet is native to tropical and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia but also has a non-native presence in most of Europe and the Middle East.
Experts are now collaborating with federal officials and academic experts to develop an operational plan to trap, track and eradicate the hornet in Georgia.
“The foundation of this response is the strong relationship USDA has developed with the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the University of Georgia over many years,” said Dr. Mark Davidson, deputy administrator of APHIS’ Plant Protection and Quarantine Program. “Our partnership is already paying off as our teams come together to apply the…
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