Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Urges Georgians to Report Yellow-Legged Hornet Embryo and Primary Nests

Wed, Jun 10 2026

ATLANTA, GA - Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper is urging residents-particularly those in Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty counties-to remain vigilant and report sightings of Yellow-Legged Hornet (YLH) embryo and primary nests.

"Georgia has made significant progress in our effort to eradicate the Yellow-Legged Hornet, but public participation remains critical to our success," said Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper. "Every embryo or primary nest reported and removed today helps prevent larger infestations tomorrow. We need Georgians to stay alert and report suspected nests to help protect our pollinators and Georgia's number one industry-agriculture."

Early detection and removal of these nests is critical to preventing the development of large secondary nests later in the season. A single undetected primary nest can produce a secondary nest containing thousands of hornets and multiple reproductive queens capable of establishing new colonies. This poses a significant threat to honeybees and other pollinators that support Georgia's agricultural industry.

What Georgians Can Do

Stay Alert: Embryo and primary nests are often found in trees, shrubs, eaves, and other elevated locations around homes, businesses, and wooded areas. Watch for hawking activity around beehives, particularly during the morning hours (before noon) and after 5 p.m.

Report Suspected Nests: If you believe you have found a Yellow-Legged Hornet, contact the Georgia Department of Agriculture's Plant Protection Division at [email protected] to ensure the nest is properly identified and the queen is eradicated.

For more information about the Yellow-Legged Hornet and how to identify potential nests, visit https://agr.georgia.gov/yellow-legged-hornet.

• Category
• Yellow-Legged Hornet

Media contacts

• Matthew Agvent, Communications Director
• Liz Rivera-Brown, Deputy Communications Director

About the GDA
The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) is the voice of the state's agriculture community. The department's mission is to provide excellence in services and regulatory functions, to protect and promote agriculture and consumer interests, and to ensure an abundance of safe food and fiber for Georgia, America, and the world by using state-of-the-art technology and a professional workforce.

Find us on Facebook • Follow on Twitter: @GDAFoodSafety •@GeorgiaGrown

For more information, visit https://www.agr.georgia.gov.

Georgia Department of Agriculture
Tyler J Harper, Commissioner
19 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SW
Atlanta, GA 30334