The primary purpose of this agreement is to support and enhance efforts to eradicate the yellow-legged hornet from the US

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service awarded Clemson University a cooperative agreement of $141,690 on August 1, 2026, to support eradication efforts against the yellow-legged hornet through the agency's civilian assistance programs.

Clemson's Division of Research will establish a field-to-laboratory yellow-legged hornet acquisition system, assess the efficacy of hornet-killing microbes as a control method through direct exposure, and supply specimens to USDA ARS for an ongoing study of microbial diseases associated with the hornet that might affect honeybees. Deliverables include protocols for maintaining yellow-legged hornets under laboratory conditions, an assessment of incorporating three hornet-killing microbes into an eradication or suppression program, and specimen supply for honey bee disease research.

Performance occurs in South Carolina through July 31, 2027. The award targets beekeepers in the Southeast where yellow-legged hornet establishment is predicted, farmers relying on pollinator services, and the public by eliminating the threat of potentially fatal stings from this invasive species.

This hornet is a major pest of honeybees and is a threat to all states that produce bees and BEE products and states with commodities that rely on BEE pollination. Activities to be performed: this funding will be used to establish a field-to-laboratory yellow-legged hornet acquisition system, assess the efficacy of hornet killing microbes through direct exposure as means of control and provide specimens to USDA ARS for an ongoing study regarding microbial diseases associated with yellow-legged hornet that might affect honey bees. Deliverables and expected outcomes: the deliverables for this project will include protocols for holding yellow-legged hornet under laboratory conditions, an assessment of the potential for incorporating three hornet killing microbes into a yellow-legged hornet eradication or suppression program, and the supply of specimens necessary for a project studying honey BEE diseases that might be vectored by yellow-legged hornets. Intended beneficiary(IES): the main beneficiaries of this project will include beekeepers througho UT the southeast USA where yellow legged hornet is predicted to establish, the numerous farmers that rely on pollinator services to successfully grow their crops, and the public at large where eradication will eliminate the threat of potentially fatal stings from this species.