BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — A predatory hornet that has wiped out honey bee colonies across Europe, slashed honey production and spread through parts of the southeastern United States could soon be headed toward Kentucky — and Eastern Kentucky may be among the first places to feel its impact.

That was the warning delivered by Kentucky State Apiarist Amanda Skidmore during a June 1 meeting of the Martin County Beekeepers Association at the Martin County Cooperative Extension Office.

The insect is known as the yellow-legged hornet in the United States and the Asian hornet in Europe. Scientifically, it is known as Vespa velutina nigrithorax.

“It has not been detected in Kentucky yet, but we are concerned that within the next year or so it may be here,” Skidmore told local beekeepers. “Eastern Kentucky has the chance of getting hit first and hardest with this.”

The warning comes as the invasive species continues to expand its range in North America after being discovered near Savannah, Georgia, in 2023. Researchers believe it likely entered the United States as early as 2021.

Skidmore said Kentucky beekeepers need to become familiar with the insect now rather than waiting until it arrives.

“It’s always better to be proactive than reactive,” she said.

Global invader

The yellow-legged hornet is native to Southeast Asia. While several subspecies exist throughout Asia, Skidmore said one particular subspecies — nigrithorax — has escaped its native range and spread across much of the world.

The hornet was first detected in France in 2003 after apparently arriving in a shipment of potted plants from China.

According to Skidmore, French officials recognized the threat but did not move aggressively enough to stop its spread.

“We have known about invasive species traveling among containers, ships and global transport for a long time,” she said. “However, how we monitor those species now, 25 years later, looks a lot different from what they were doing in the early 2000s.”

The result has been dramatic.

The hornet now occupies much of continental Europe, including France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Germany.

Last year alone, yellow-legged hornets were responsible for more than 30% losses among managed honey bee colonies in France and Italy.

“That’s a scary number,” Skidmore said. “Losing three out of every 10 hives should hopefully get our attention.”

Portugal reported a 35% decline in honey production because there were not enough bees available to produce honey.

The hornet has also crossed the English Channel into Great Britain.

In southeastern England, Skidmore said, beekeepers and volunteers are assigned sections of their communities and conduct annual searches for hornet nests. Public awareness campaigns encourage residents to report sightings.

“Every year they do a big push in August to make folks aware of this hornet,” she said.

Not ‘murder hornet’

Skidmore noted that Europeans commonly refer to the insect as the Asian hornet.

In the United States, however, agriculture officials use the name yellow-legged hornet to distinguish it from the Asian giant hornet, a different species that gained widespread attention in North America several years ago.

The yellow-legged hornet has a dark thorax, a darker upper abdomen, yellow-orange bands and its most distinctive feature — bright yellow feet.

“Another distinguishing feature and where it gets its name, yellow-legged hornet, is the fact that the tips of its legs are bright yellow,” Skidmore said. “This is the one that we need to be on the lookout for.”

How it reached America

The insect’s discovery in the United States began with a new beekeeper in Georgia.

“A brand-new beekeeper, first year, didn’t know anything about hornets, didn’t know a lot about bees, had a couple of hives on his back porch,” Skidmore said.

One evening, the beekeeper noticed a large hornet repeatedly swooping down and capturing honey bees from his hives.

“He went out one evening to watch his bees and noticed this hornet was coming down and picking off his bees and would come back and get another one.”

The beekeeper killed the hornet with a broom and took the specimen to his local extension office. Eventually, it was forwarded to the USDA, where experts identified it as a yellow-legged hornet.

That discovery launched an intensive surveillance effort.

Georgia officials now monitor approximately 6,000 hornet traps each week.

Despite those efforts, the species has spread along portions of coastal Georgia and South Carolina.

Right before Christmas 2025, officials confirmed the hornet in York County, South Carolina — less than 200 miles from Kentucky.

By the end of April, officials reported finding 11 overwintered queens in York County.

“On its own, the hornet can naturally move 40 to 60 miles a year,” Skidmore said. “Very quickly it could be in our backyard.”

The insect can also spread much faster by hitching rides on campers, vehicles, nursery stock, mulch and other transported materials.

Predator of bees

The yellow-legged hornet poses a serious threat because it is a specialized predator.

Individual hornets can consume as many as 11 honey bees per day.

Research shows that in urban areas, honey bees make up roughly 70% of the hornet’s diet. Even in agricultural settings, honey bees account for approximately 30%.

The hornets hunt by hovering outside hive entrances in a behavior known as hawking.

They capture bees as they leave or return to the hive.

Honey bees evolved without this predator and have few natural defenses against it.

As hornet pressure increases, bees often stop leaving the hive altogether.

The colony eventually runs out of food and starves.

“It will go after everything,” Skidmore said.

In addition to honey bees, the hornets prey heavily on native pollinators.

That could create ripple effects throughout Kentucky agriculture.

Any crop that depends on pollination could be affected.

Skidmore said that even a 5% reduction in specialty-crop production could amount to millions of dollars in annual losses.

Nests the size of tires

The hornet’s life cycle begins with a single queen.

Mated queens spend the winter hidden in protected locations such as leaf litter, compost piles, barns and rafters.

In spring, the queen emerges and builds a small embryo nest roughly the size of a golf ball or tennis ball.

She raises the first generation of worker hornets alone.

As the colony grows, workers expand the nest or move to a larger primary nest.

These structures can reach the size of a basketball and contain thousands of hornets.

Primary nests may be attached to buildings, bushes, trees, bridge overpasses and even manhole covers.

By late summer, colonies often relocate again.

The resulting secondary nests are enormous.

Often hidden 60 feet or more high in treetops, they can grow from the size of a beach ball to a yoga ball and may eventually become as large as a car tire.

“Very, very large compared to nests that we’ve been dealing with in this area,” Skidmore said.

As fall approaches, colonies begin producing new queens and males.

By winter, the old queen and workers die while newly mated queens disperse to begin the cycle again the following spring.

What to look for

Skidmore encouraged beekeepers and residents to learn how to identify the insect and its nests.

The nests are generally oval or round with visible swirls and multiple entrances.

Because hornets often forage up to a mile from their nests, locating a colony can be challenging.

The insects are attracted to protein sources, including rotting meat.

To help detect new arrivals, Skidmore recommends trapping queens in spring using a jar fitted with an Ornetin trap lid.

A homemade bait can be created using one part brown sugar, two parts grape juice and a drop of dish soap.

She also shared educational resources from the Georgia Department of Agriculture and Clemson University that demonstrate how to build traps and identify hornets.

What to do if you find one

If residents discover a small embryo nest, Skidmore recommends placing a Mason jar over the nest in the evening when the queen is likely present, cutting it loose, securing the lid and placing the specimen in a freezer before notifying local officials.

Larger nests should not be disturbed.

“If you disturb the nest, they will come after you,” she warned.

Instead, residents should contact agriculture officials, their county extension office or the state apiarist.

Officials need the nest location documented so they can survey the surrounding area.

Simply knocking down a nest can make the problem worse.

“Destroying the nest means that the queen is going to locate somewhere else,” Skidmore said.

If yellow-legged hornets are confirmed, Skidmore said USDA emergency response teams and state agriculture officials will remove nests and search for additional colonies at no cost to property owners.

“If you have them, even if you are not certain, feel free to contact me,” she said.

Resource for beekeepers

In addition to discussing invasive hornets, Skidmore outlined the services available through the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

Her position was created after Kentucky beekeepers requested a dedicated advocate and technical resource at the state level.

“I’m the only bee person at the state level,” she said. “So I cover all 120 counties.”

Skidmore performs certified health inspections for beekeepers, investigates disease outbreaks, submits laboratory samples for testing and provides educational assistance to both new and experienced beekeepers.

She also hosts monthly Zoom meetings, youth programs and educational events throughout Kentucky.

Visits and inspections are provided at no cost.

“My primary goal is to help you guys keep your bees healthy,” she said.

To reach Skidmore, call 502-330-4499 or email [email protected].