by Matthew Phelan at Daily Mail
- US Department of Agriculture IDs first ‘yellow-legged hornet’ alive in Georgia
- Hornet is a vicious predator of honey bees, threatening farms and even humans
- Authorities call on the public to help capture yellow-legged hornets
A relative of the murder hornet, which terrorized the US in 2021, has been spotted for the first time in the nation, and it could be detrimental to agriculture.
The yellow-legged hornet, native to South Asia, was identified in Georgia, where officials are urging residents to look for the invasive species that could ‘potentially threaten’ honey production, native species, farms and human lives.
The hornet can be identified by its yellow-tipped legs and dark abdomen, which have yellow bands that widen toward the insect’s rear.
The alert came after a Savannah-based beekeeper discovered the southeast Asian hornet alive on his property Tuesday.
Georgia state agriculture officials and the US Department of Agriculture are on the lookout for a newly arrived species of ‘murder hornet’ — pictured above — which they believe could ‘potentially threaten’ honey production, native species, local farms and even human lives
The all-points bulletin, issued by Georgia’s Agriculture Commissioner this Tuesday, followed a tip from one Savannah, Georgia-based beekeeper who first discovered the southeast Asian hornet alive on his property. Georgia’s Department of Agriculture wants the pests ‘eradicated’
The yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina), pictured above, is a cousin of the Asian giant hornet, often described in the press as the ‘murder hornet’ due to its savage attacks on bee colonies. But reports from Europe suggest the hornet has killed humans and could kill again
Georgia’s Agriculture Commissioner described the hornet as an existential threat to ‘our state’s number one industry — agriculture.’ But local scientists said it could also pose a threat to humans.
‘There are reports in Europe of people having died from encountering this wasp and…
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