North Carolina agriculture officials have just confirmed the state’s first established population of invasive yellow-legged hornets in the Charlotte area, raising concerns for homeowners, beekeepers and the region’s pollinators.
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) said the invasive hornets were confirmed in Matthews after a Union County homeowner noticed unusual hornet activity around a hummingbird feeder.
A follow-up survey found additional yellow-legged hornets near the Union-Mecklenburg county line. State and federal officials are now working together to locate and destroy the nest before the population spreads…