The Division’s Plant Coverage Department workforce has been arduous at paintings – discovering and rapidly removing 3 Yellow-legged hornet’s nests over a 24-hour duration between Wednesday and Thursday of final week within the Savannah space. The PPD workforce used to be assisted by means of Pest Control Pros from Yates Astro Termite & Pest Keep an eye on and Herrington Tree Carrier. All nests had been eliminated effectively and with out incident inside hours in their discovery.
On July 17, 2024, PPD Box Brokers found out and promptly eliminated a nest atop a pine tree roughly 60 toes top within the Savannah space.
Additionally, on July 17, 2024, every other nest used to be discovered atop an oak tree, about 60 toes above flooring, and eliminated on July 18, 2024, within the Savannah space.
On July 18, 2024, a 3rd nest, in a similar way perched atop an oak tree at a peak of roughly 60 toes, used to be situated within the Savannah space and eliminated rapidly.
Moreover, a number one nest (approx. softball dimension) used to be reported in the course of the division’s site final week, however the nest have been deserted. The nest used to be in a space of Savannah the place a number of queens have been captured, so we’re not sure if the nest relocated or whether it is conceivable we captured the queen.
We consider the yellow-legged hornets could also be getting into their ultimate developmental level for the yr. To this point this yr, nests are particularly smaller than the ones found out in 2023, with maximum captured hornets smaller than the ones noticed in August, September, and October final yr. Figuring out them previous of their expansion cycle has averted employee hornets from rising the nests to earlier sizes.
Our devoted workforce is actively surveying Savannah and the Georgia coast to find and get rid of any nests that can have established. We proceed to inspire electorate, particularly beekeepers, to promptly file any sightings of yellow-legged hornets or nests to the Division.
It’s important that we do away with the yellow-legged hornet from Georgia to safeguard our state’s No.1 trade – agriculture.
Replace by means of the Numbers
New Traps Deployed: 40
General traps deployed (August 2023 – July 2024): 1,029
Hornets discovered (July 4, 2024 – July 18, 2024): 53 employees
Nests discovered & eliminated (July 4 – July 19, 2024): 4
General nests discovered & eliminated (August 2023 – July 2024):
- August 2023 – December 2023: 5 secondary nests
- January 2024 – July 2024: 4 embryo nests ; 4 number one nests ; 3 secondary nests
Useful Sources
Phrases to Know:
- Embryo Nests are constructed by means of queens in order that they are able to start forming a colony and regularly are the scale of a tennis ball. Embryo nests are typically present in early spring.
- Number one Nests are nests constructed by means of employee hornets after they emerge from embryo nests. They may be able to be the scale of a grapefruit. Number one nests are typically present in early summer time.
- Secondary Nests, the general level of a hornet colony, are a lot greater than embryo and number one nests. Those nests, regularly discovered atop timber and bigger than a basketball, had been effectively eliminated from the Savannah space in 2023. They normally seem from past due summer time to fall.
Yellow-legged Hornet Lifestyles Cycle:
Here’s a diagram illustrating the lifestyles cycle of the yellow-legged hornet. Recently, they’re progressing as anticipated and beginning to assemble secondary nests.
We respect your help in serving to us get rid of this severe danger to Georgia’s agriculture, our state’s primary trade. For more info, consult with GDA’s Devoted Yellow-legged Hornet webpage: https://agr.georgia.gov/yellow-legged-hornet.
