WSDA asks SW Washington residents to watch for invasive yellow-legged hornet
May 13-The Washington state Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Pest Program is asking residents of Southwest Lewis County to watch for and report possible sightings of the invasive yellow-legged hornet after a live hornet was intercepted on a vessel at the Port of Vancouver.
The yellow-legged hornet, known scientifically as vespa velutina, is highly invasive. The WSDA stated in a news release that it has spread rapidly through Europe, where it has caused a 30% reduction in honey bee hives and honey production. It was introduced to Georgia near the Port of Savannah in 2023 and has since spread to nearby South Carolina. Both states are currently undergoing eradication efforts.
The yellow-legged hornet is smaller than the northern giant hornet, which was introduced to Washington in 2019 and was declared eradicated from the state in 2024 by WSDA. Worker hornets are about .75 to 1 inch long, with queens being somewhat larger. The hornet is named for its legs, which are yellow on the lower half. The fourth segment on the abdomen is also yellow-orange, WSDA states.
Unlike the northern giant hornet, which tends to nest in tree cavities or in the ground, yellow-legged hornets usually build nests surrounded by a paper-like covering in tree branches or other outdoor areas. These nests can be extremely large, with up to 6,000 worker hornets.
WSDA is encouraging Vancouver-area residents to photograph suspected hornets and, if it can be done safely, collect and freeze the specimen before reporting it to the agency.
Sightings can be reported online at the WSDA Hornet Reporting Page: agr.wa.gov/hornets, or by email at hornets@agr.wa.gov.
The hornet was discovered by a WSDA grain inspector during a routine grain inspection of a ship on April 30, the release stated. The inspector photographed the hornet before it was destroyed and discarded, but the photo was sent to the WSDA Pest Program for review. WSDA entomologists agreed it appeared to be a yellow-legged hornet.
On May 1, WSDA Pest Program and US Customs and Border Protection staff inspected the ship and the surrounding area for evidence of hornets. No additional hornet evidence was found, the release stated. WSDA stated that they have placed traps in the area as a precaution.
"We are hopeful that this was a one-off interception, which occasionally happens at our ports," said Sven Spichiger, WSDA Pest Program manager, in the release. "But given the serious nature of this hornet and its potential impact to honey bees, we are asking for extra vigilance from people in the Vancouver area. The public was critical to our ability to eradicate the northern giant hornet, and they will be just as important in responding to this introduction if there are more hornets in the area."
Visit agr.wa.gov/hornets to learn more about invasive hornets, native lookalikes or to report suspected sightings.
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