Britons should report any sightings of Asian hornets this summer as nature groups warn of a surge in the damaging invasive non-native species.
The public and beekeepers have been asked to be vigilant to the presence of the hornet by the UK’s chief plant health officer Nicola Spence after record sightings last year.
She said on Monday: “By ensuring we are alerted to possible sightings as early as possible, the public can help us take swift and effective action to stamp out the threat posed by Asian hornets.
“While the Asian hornet poses no greater risk to human health than other wasps or hornets, they can damage honey bee colonies and harm other pollinators.”
Anyone who spots an Asian hornet should report it in the Asian Hornet Watch app or by filling in an online report form – details are on the Gov.uk website.
The Asian Hornet has a very dark body, a wide orange stripe on the forth abdomen section and yellow leg ends.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) said the National Bee Unit stands ready to respond quickly and effectively to any further possible sightings after attending every credible report last year and destroying 72 nests in 56 locations – mostly in Kent.
What is an Asian hornet?
Asian hornets – not to be confused with Asian giant hornets – are native to Asia but were reportedly spotted in Europe for the first time in south-west France in 2004. They are thought to have come over in a consignment of pottery from China.
They are what is known as an invasive species – an introduced species that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. An invasive species can cause ecological, environmental and even economical damage.
Asian hornets prey on native honey bees and can damage the ecological role they play as well as disrupting commercial beekeeping. They are smaller than the native hornet and pose no greater risk to human health than native wasps and hornets.
They are now reported to be established in Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Jersey. They were first spotted in the UK in 2016 and are generally only aggressive towards people when they perceive a threat to their nest.
How to spot an Asian hornet
Asian hornets are smaller than native hornets and measure around 25mm in length, while their queens are larger and are around 30mm in length.
Their abdomens are almost entirely black, with fine yellow stripes and a yellow or orange fourth segment, near the base. They have an orange head and a black or brown thorax.
While they look similar to native hornets, they can be distinguished from by the fact that the ends of their legs – the tips – are yellow. They are active during the day but never at night.
What to do if you find one
If you think you have spotted an Asian hornet, your first instinct may be to contact a pest control expert. However, it is important that the sighting is officially recorded and reported due to its invasive nature and possible consequences of it breeding.
You should notify the Great British Non-Native Species Secretariat (NNSS) as soon as you spot an Asian Hornet. This can be done through the Asian Hornet Watch app or by filling out the online form.
You can also send details of a suspected sighting to the NNSS by emailing alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk. if possible, you should include a photo, the location of the sighting and a description of the insect.
If you have managed to trap what is confirmed to be an Asian hornet, the advice is that it can be killed either by standing on it (in shoes!) or placing it in a freezer for 24 hours. Samples should be kept as they may be needed by authorities after the sighting is reported.
However, it is important to not attempt to trap the insect by yourself, as it should be left to experts using specialist equipment. Once reported to NNSS, the government’s protocol will see professionals sent out to eradicate the insect and its nest, if found.
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