Asian Hornets are a disaster for beekeeping in this country. They have arrived over from France and have begun to spread across the UK since 2016. Luckily their numbers are still fairly low but it is really important that they are found and removed by the authorities. Asian hornets are an invasive species and eat a lot of insects from the native countryside, however, they have a insatiable taste for honey bees and can kill an entire hive in a short time. I have often seen European hornets catching honey bees, usually when I have a source of sugar in the garden, but they are a few bees here and there and not a whole colony.
How to Spot:
So The Asian hornet is a little smaller than our common European Hornet and his easily distinguished by it’s yellow legs.
Asian Hornet: Note the yellow legs and the dark body and black stripes
European hornet: Yellower and larger with brown legs.
What to do:
If you see an Asian Hornet, yellow legged hornet, then you should report it to the authorities using the Asian Hornet Watch App.
If you are able to catch it in a upturned glass then even better. DEFRA are able to attach trackers to living hornets release them back into the wild and follow them back to their nests.
‘Asian hornet Watch’ App
The best way to report any sightings is via the ‘Asian Hornet Watch‘ app. On Android and I store.
The home screen of the App allows users to check similar species and report a sighting. A photo is requested as key to identification. Date and location are auto completed and brief comments can be included. A reminder about personal safety is also included. Reporting can lead to investigation and nest destruction which is vital for eradication.
Likewise if you notice a nest up in the trees whiles out walking this should also be reported as the authorities can investigate and see if it is European or Asian that is in the nest. This is one that I spotted yesterday hence the getting round to writing the post. What 3 words mapping system is really good recording the location. But this is already a feature in the Asian Hornet reporting app.
Never try to destroy a nest on your own as they can get extremely protective and aggressive. Their sting is very painful and can even kill a human.
