The New Murder Hornet? Yellow-Legged Hornets Killing Bees In 3 States

Yellow-legged hornets (Vespa velutina) have been found in three Southern U.S. states and were first detected in Savannah in 2023.

Alabama has placed traps at the Port of Mobile and over 40 monitoring traps statewide and published public guidance for identification.

USDA warned the hornets could threaten domestic and wild honey bees and disrupt crop pollination if they establish.

European countries have reported established populations, where a single colony can reach about 6,000 hornets and prey heavily on honeybees.