ATLANTA — Another yellow-legged hornet nest has been found in Georgia.
The invasive species doesn’t really bother humans but could have a big impact on the bee population.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture confirmed to WRDW-TV, that the latest nest was found in Savannah on Wednesday.
The Ag Department told the TV station that they have found a total of 22 yellow-hornet queens so far this year.
The insect is a social wasp species that builds egg-shaped paper nests, often in trees. These nests can become huge, with an average of 6,000 workers.
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“The yellow-legged hornet is a predatory insect that has been reported to attack western honeybee colonies and has become a serious pest of beekeeping operations where it has been introduced,” said Ben Powell, who directs Clemson Cooperative Extension’s Apiary and Pollinator program. “Establishment of this exotic pest in the U.S. would pose a significant threat to our already embattled beekeeping enterprises.”
The hornet is native to tropical and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia, according to officials.
Georgians with additional questions or concerns are encouraged to email the Georgia Department of Agriculture at yellow.legged.hornet@agr.georgia.gov.
Officials said there are many domestic lookalikes that we have here in the United States who do not pose a threat to honeybees.
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