UF/IFAS warns of honey bee predator headed south
The recognizing of a brand new predatory hornet in Georgia may imply bother for Florida’s imperiled honey bees if it spreads additional South.
To trace the unfold of the yellow-legged hornet, scientifically named Vespa velutina, UF/IFAS honey bee mavens are running with the Florida Division of Agriculture and Shopper Services and products to unfold the phrase on what citizens can do in the event that they see or catch this kind of hornets.
Karine Monceau, from Monceau et al. 2014 A yellow-legged hornet, a predator to the honey bee, sits on a plant.
“Honey bees in North The united states haven’t any herbal defenses towards the yellow-legged hornet, so maintaining this species from making a house in Florida is of the maximum significance to our honey bee populations and thus our meals provide,” stated Amy Vu, state specialised program extension agent for the College of Florida/IFAS Honey Bee Analysis and Extension Laboratory.
The Vespa velutina is an invasive hornet that preys on honey bees and honey bee larva. The primary United States sighting of the predator, which has already broken Europe’s bee populations, used to be final week in Savannah, Georgia, by way of the Georgia Division of Agriculture after a yard beekeeper noticed, captured and reported two hornets.
The yellow-legged hornet is smaller, however very similar to the Vespa mandarinia, recognized by way of its nickname the “homicide hornet,” which has a definite orange mark on its head.
The yellow-legged hornet is very best recognized by way of its yellowish-white-colored legs, is set 1.2 centimeters to three centimeters lengthy, and has a vast orange-yellow face with huge, distinguished eyes. The thorax and stomach are most commonly black with a unmarried yellow segment close to the top of the stomach, in line with UF/IFAS informational paperwork.
The yellow-legged hornet is incessantly wrong with the usually noticed Ecu hornet, Vespa crabro, which isn’t a considerable risk to bees. The Ecu hornet does now not have yellow/white legs. Ecu hornet samples must now not be submitted, if conceivable.
To document a suspected yellow-legged hornet e mail [email protected] or name the FDACS hotline at 1-888-397-1517.
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