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Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper and the Georgia Department of Agriculture announced the discovery and eradication of three additional Yellow-legged hornets’ nests in the area near Savannah, Ga. In addition to these new eradications, the Department is announcing a new, biweekly newsletter, the Yellow-Legged Ledger, to provide the public with important updates on our efforts to prevent the establishment of this invasive pest.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) announced, in coordination with USDA and the University of Georgia, confirmation of the detection of a living yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina) in Savannah, Georgia. This is the first detection of a live yellow-legged hornet in the open U.S., which was confirmed on Aug 9, 2023. GDA is asking the public to report any sightings of the yellow-legged hornet, a non-native hornet species, that, if allowed to establish in Georgia, could potentially threaten honey production, native pollinators, and our state’s number one industry - agriculture. See more information about the yellow-legged hornet, including how to report sightings.

As communities continue to recover from widespread destruction caused by recent hurricanes Helene and Milton, floodwaters from these storms may have accelerated the spread of invasive wildlife and plant species into new areas.

Recent sightings of a large, non-native land crab along the South Atlantic coast, including in coastal Georgia, are a cause for concern, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). Blue land crabs are native from Brazil to south Florida and can be as large as 5-6 inches. Sightings recently have been reported well north of the crabs’ native range, including the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Multiple reports have been made to Georgia WRD offices.

The public is encouraged to take photos and report sightings of blue land crabs at GeorgiaWildlife.com/ANS. Questions about blue land crabs? Contact a local Georgia WRD office (details at GeorgiaWildlife.com/about/contact#fish).

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Resources Division confirmed someone found a northern snakehead in early October in a pond on private property in Gwinnett County, marking the first time the invasive fish has been found in the state. Fishermen who find a northern snakehead should take pictures, note where it was caught and then report it.

Wildlife officials are warning Georgia boat owners to be on the lookout for an invasive species that could cause millions of dollars in damages throughout the state. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources says zebra mussels, an eastern European species that is considered invasive, were found on a boat taken to Lake Lanier after being used on the Tennessee River near Chattanooga.