AI Generated Image
Invasive yellow-legged hornets from Asia butcher bees in the Lowcountry
South Carolina Public Radio • • nation
Key Points:
- Yellow-legged hornets, an invasive species from Asia, have been preying on honeybees in South Carolina and Georgia's Lowcountry since 2023, severely impacting local bee colonies and causing bees to avoid leaving their hives.
- Clemson University's yellow-legged hornet response team has removed about 500 nests in 2025, up from 16 nests in 2024, using bait to kill emerging queens and physically removing nests despite challenges like inaccessible locations and high costs.
- The hornets aggressively hunt honeybees, feeding on their thoraxes and posing a significant threat to pollination and agriculture, as pollinators are essential for food production.
- Removing nests is hazardous and expensive, with nests harboring thousands of hornets capable of repeated stings; teams use protective gear and sometimes require arborists to reach high nests.
- The invasive hornets continue to spread beyond the Lowcountry, with sightings reported as far as York County, South Carolina, and Vancouver, Washington, raising concerns about their potential to establish in new regions.
