Chief Plant Health Officer urges increased Asian hornet vigilance

Earlier this week the UK’s plant health officer urged stakeholders to be vigilant to the presence of Asian hornet and report any sightings.

This renewed urgency follows a record number of sightings in 2023, including the destruction of 72 nests in 56 locations, and numerous sightings in 2024 already.   

The majority of nests have been found in Kent, but also found in Devon, Dorset, East Sussex, East Yorkshire, Essex, Hampshire, London, North Yorkshire, and Surrey. 

Asian hornets and their nests are regularly identified and destroyed during the summer months.  The risk of establishment is higher in the south of the country, as specimens enter the country via ports, having caught a lift off lorries and cross-channel ferries from the continent where the species is established.  The warmer, milder climate in the south of the country further aids establishment.  

What does the Asian Hornet look like?

The Asian Hornet has a number of features which make it easy to identify:

• Dark brown abdomen, with a yellow band on the 4th ‘segment’
• Head dark when viewed from above, or orange from front
• Dark coloured antennae
• Legs yellow at the ends
• Queen up to 30mm long, worker up to 25mm long

Whilst the Asian hornet poses no greater risk to humans than native hornets or bees, it does pose a risk to native honeybees and insects.  Asian hornets are predators of honeybees and there are fears that, if established in the UK, would result in a significant decline in the number of native honeybees.  

Recommended action

Suspected sightings of the Asian hornet should be reported immediately to the Great British Non-Native Species Secretariat (NNSS) immediately, by visiting this webpage

Alternatively, sightings can be emailed to alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk, complete with photos. 

The animal and plant health agency (APHA) will cover the costs of all eradication on private land.

Further reading

The British Bee Keepers Association
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) press release