Beekeepers in Alabama should be aware of a new flying foe recently discovered in the Southeast. The yellow-legged hornet, Vespa veluntina, has been confirmed in Georgia. Alabama Cooperative Extension System experts say this invasive species may pose a threat to the region’s honey-bee population.
About Yellow-Legged Hornets
Most Americans are not familiar with the yellowlegged hornet, since it is a non-native species to the United States. The Georgia Department of Agriculture, along with the United States Department of Agriculture Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service, recently confirmed the species near Savannah, Georgia.
These hornets are native to the southeastern regions of Asia and are known for their relentless appetite– specifically feeding on other insects. The yellow-legged hornet is not as large as the infamous northern giant hornet that made national headlines in 2021. However, they are just as deadly to their prey.
“This species is not established, but it does pose just as much threat as the murder hornets people heard about a couple years ago,” said Katelyn Kesheimer, an Alabama Extension entomologist. “The main threat of the yellow-legged hornet pertains to the honey bee industry in our region.”
Yellow-legged hornets are natural predators that can wipe out colonies by focusing on their concentrated source of food until it is entirely consumed. They live communally and have the same life cycle as native hornets and wasps. Female hornets will overwinter and emerge in spring. Colonies can grow large by summer and have the potential to contain thousands of hornets.
“Its legs are distinctively yellow,” Kesheimer said. “Their size and yellow legs are the best identifiers of this hornet.”
