Beekeepers and residents warned amid sightings of Asian hornet
18th April 2024
British beekeepers and residents have been urged to remain vigilant after an invasive hornet species was recently found on two occasions.
At the beginning of this week, 15th April, Defra revealed that an Asian hornet was discovered and captured in Romford last month.
More than 70 sightings of Asian hornets have been confirmed in the UK since 2016, including two incidents happening this year.
Two sightings confirmed
The National Bee Unit has confirmed that on 20th and 21st of March 2024 inspectors received credible reports of lone Asian hornets.
The first was in Preston, Lancashire, at a warehouse with regular trucks arriving from France. A bee inspector attended, set traps and is monitoring the location with support from the local beekeeper.
The second credible report was a dead Asian hornet found in Romford, East London. The specimen was collected by an NBU inspector and sent to the lab at Fera Science Ltd for official confirmation.
NBU asks the public to report sightings of Vespa velutina using the Asian hornet Watch app or via online form.
Honey bees at risk
The Asian hornet is smaller than our native hornet and poses no greater risk to human health than our native wasps and hornets.
However, they do pose a risk to honey bees, and work is already underway to monitor for any hornet activity and identify any nests nearby.
Asian hornets are mostly active between April and November, though their peak is in August and September.
The Great Britain Non-Native Species Secretariat (NNSS) said that residents in the south of England and Wales should be particularly vigilant, but warns that active hornets’ nests should not be disturbed or provoked “under any circumstances”.
