The yellow-legged hornet (YLH) has been in the news lately because it was recently detected in North Carolina. A homeowner in Matthews, NC reported to the NC Department of Agriculture about this hornet feeding at their hummingbird feeder. Within a few days it was reported as the first confirmed instance of the yellow-legged hornet. Luckily, that nest was located and eliminated quickly, although a separate report and confirmed case has since developed in High Point, NC.

The NCDA&CS had been trapping and monitoring for the past 2 years, but now it is important to expand the search. We encourage you to hang traps and report any finds or the classic ‘hawking’ behavior.

We also want to reassure beekeepers that there is no need to panic. There may be slight changes to the way we manage our colonies, but we have had to adapt before with the introduction of Varroa mites and then the small hive beetles. A new Beekeeping Note 2.19 Yellow-Legged Hornets: Recommendations for Beekeepers will help beekeepers adapt to this new challenge.

For more information about the YLH and how to report it, see the information page on the NCDA website.