VANCOUVER, Wash. — Agriculture officials are alerting the public about a highly invasive pest that threatens honeybees and crop production.
The alert follows the discovery of a live yellow-legged hornet, which was spotted and photographed by a state grain inspector aboard a ship at the Port of Vancouver in April, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).
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They are native to tropical and subtropical regions of Southeast Asia and typically make their way into the country with international shipments.
Following the sighting, WSDA personnel conducted visual surveys of the surrounding area, though no additional hornets were found.
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While both the northern giant hornet—commonly known as the infamous "murder hornet"—and the yellow-legged hornet pose serious threats to agriculture, experts say the yellow-legged species may be more dangerous because it adapts easily to new regions, reproduces quickly, and is far harder to contain.
Though smaller than the "murder hornet", the yellow-legged hornet builds massive, exposed aerial nests that allow it to spread and multiply rapidly.
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Additionally, unlike its relative, the yellow-legged hornet is highly adaptable to a wide range of climates, whereas the 'murder hornet' prefers cool, moist environments, which limits its geographic spread.
"If allowed to establish in the United States, these invasive pests could threaten populations of domestic and feral honey bees – some of which are already endangered – and other native pollinators. Their presence could also disrupt the pollination of many crops," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Officials urge the public to remain vigilant, while the WSDA continues its ongoing surveillance, trapping, and outreach to monitor the threat.
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Additionally, the yellow-legged hornet has already established an active presence in other parts of the country.
Agriculture officials have been working to track, trap, and eradicate a localized population of the invasive hornets in Georgia and South Carolina since they were first detected near Savannah in 2023.
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