VANCOUVER, Wash. — Agriculture officials are alerting the public about a highly invasive pest that threatens honeybees and crop production. Though smaller than the "murder hornet", the yellow-legged hornet builds massive, exposed aerial nests that allow it to spread and multiply rapidly. CASE TRACKER: HERE IS WHERE FLESH-EATING BACTERIA CASES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THE USAdditionally, 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. HUNDREDS OF INVASIVE YELLOW-LEGGED HORNETS THAT KILL HONEYBEES RECORDED IN GEORGIAAdditionally, 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.