Invasive yellow-legged hornets have emerged as a significant threat to honeybee populations in South Carolina’s Lowcountry region, raising concerns among beekeepers and state officials. First detected in the area in 2023, these predatory insects have rapidly spread along the coastal landscape, preying on local bee colonies and disrupting the ecosystem that supports the state’s honey industry.
The yellow-legged hornet, native to Southeast Asia, exhibits a distinctive hunting behavior, ambushing honeybees near their hives and dismembering them to access nutrient-rich body parts. Beekeepers like Jackie Currie, who has managed bees in South Carolina for over a decade, report that local bees lack natural defenses against this newcomer, intensifying the vulnerability of their colonies. “My bees don’t know how to defend themselves,” Currie noted, observing the hornets’ relentless attacks last summer.
Since their arrival, the hornets have taken advantage of the region’s favorable climate and abundant bee populations. South Carolina is home to nearly 24,000 bee colonies, while neighboring Georgia ranks as the nation’s third-largest honey producer. The hornets’ diet, however, extends beyond live prey to include a wide range of carrion and detritus, from deer carcasses to oyster shells, underscoring their adaptability.
Efforts to manage the infestation have been led by Brad Cavin, South Carolina’s state honeybee inspector and a researcher at Clemson University. Cavin’s team has ramped up detection and removal measures, reporting the destruction of 345 hornet nests in the Lowcountry as of June 2026, a substantial increase from 16 nests identified in 2024. Cavin describes the fight against the invasive species as a mission to protect the region’s natural heritage.
The hornets construct multiple types of nests during their lifecycle, ranging from small “embryo” nests the size of a ping-pong ball in early spring to secondary nests high in the treetops that can exceed the size of a basketball, housing thousands of individuals. These nests are made from chewed wood and plant fibers and often exhibit patterns resembling oyster shells.
To track the hornets, Cavin’s team has installed over 4,300 traps across South Carolina, baited with a mixture of grape juice and brown sugar syrup. This selective attractant draws hornets without harming beneficial insects like honeybees. Data from these traps help researchers identify nest locations through triangulation and direct observation, including marking individual hornets with paint and using miniature high-frequency radio trackers. These tracking tools aid technicians in pinpointing nests in the dense Lowcountry foliage.
Once nests are located, specialized exterminators such as Nathan Kreils and Wes Long undertake the complex and hazardous task of removal. The process involves temporarily sealing the nest entrance to contain and subdue the hornets before carefully extracting the structure. The nests are then frozen to eliminate remaining insects and preserved for further study.
The invasion of yellow-legged hornets poses a serious challenge for beekeepers, ecologists, and agricultural stakeholders in the southeastern United States. Ongoing monitoring and control efforts aim to mitigate the impact of the species, but experts acknowledge that the hornets’ presence represents a persistent ecological threat requiring continued vigilance and adaptive management.