The Yellow-legged Hornet (YLH) is a predatory wasp that attacks honey bee colonies. It was found in Savannah GA in 2023 and has been spreading quickly through South Carolina and Georgia. This should not be confused with the Northern Giant Hornet, which the media sometimes referred to as the "murder hornet," which was detected in the Pacific Northwest and appears to have been eradicated. Very recently, a confirmed YLH colony was detected in York County, SC, which is just south of the city of Charlotte and Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties, NC. North Carolina beekeepers need to be on the lookout this upcoming spring and prepare their hives for potential nest predation.
More information about the YLH can be found at:
NCDA&CS Yellow-legged Hornet FAQ
South Carolina Invasive Species Spotlight
NC Department of Agriculture Yellow-legged Hornet report form
