A single Yellow-Legged Hornet nest could become a much bigger problem. Georgia wants residents to report them.

An Asian Giant Hornet from Japan, also known as a murder hornet, is on display. Asian hornets in Europe are significant predators of bees, currently consuming large numbers of bees, including the well-known European honey bee and many lesser-known solitary and colonial bee species, in Ghent, Belgium, on December 27, 2023. \ CBS

Georgia agriculture officials are urging residents in several coastal counties to stay alert and report sightings of early-stage Yellow-Legged Hornet nests as the state continues efforts to prevent larger infestations that could threaten pollinators and agriculture.

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J. Harper is asking people in Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham and Liberty counties to watch for embryo and primary nests and report any suspected activity.

“Georgia has made significant progress in our effort to eradicate the Yellow-Legged Hornet, but public participation remains critical to our success,” Harper said in a statement. “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.”

According to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, early detection and removal of these nests is key to stopping the development of larger secondary nests later in the season. Officials say a single undetected primary nest can produce a much larger secondary nest containing thousands of hornets and multiple reproductive queens capable of establishing new colonies.

State agriculture officials warn that the hornets pose a significant threat to honeybees and other pollinators that support Georgia’s agricultural industry.

The department says embryo and primary nests are often found in trees, shrubs, eaves and other elevated locations around homes, businesses and wooded areas. Officials also urge residents to watch for “hawking activity” around beehives, particularly in the morning before noon and again after 5 p.m.

Residents who believe they have found a Yellow-Legged Hornet are asked to contact the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Plant Protection Division at yellow.legged.hornet@agr.georgia.gov for identification and removal guidance.

More information on identifying and reporting Yellow-Legged Hornets is available through the Georgia Department of Agriculture at agr.georgia.gov/yellow-legged-hornet.