A confirmed sighting of an Asian hornet near Ashford, Kent has led to an appeal for help. While bee inspectors will be busy searching for the nest in Ashford, any further reports of hornets will be welcome. Beekeepers are hoping to slow the advance of the Asian hornet, an invasive insect from China. Since 2004, the Asian hornet has spread across much of Europe, reaching both the Channel Islands, and the UK, in 2016. The insect is a major threat to many pollinators, which is particularly concerning in Kent, where many of the UK’s rarest bumblebees can be found.
Asian Hornet Week (9th – 15th September) seeks to raise awareness of this pest, with people being urged to, ‘See it, Snap it, Send it,’ via the free-to-download Asian Hornet Watch app. Those without access to a smartphone can request assistance from their local swarm collector, if they suspect an Asian hornet. WHITSTABLE & HERNE BAY BEEKEEPERS SPOKESPERSON, KEITH HOOKER, said, ‘Reports of hornets are valuable, even if the hornet is already dead. By reporting Asian hornets, you can help us protect local bee populations.’
While the Asian hornet is slightly smaller than our native hornet, it has several distinctive features. It is 25-30mm in length, has an orange face, and is mostly black in colour. Only one segment of the abdomen – the fourth – is entirely yellow. The Asian hornet also has yellow tips on its legs.
The British Beekeepers Association warns: ‘This hornet could decimate our pollinators… this is not just a beekeepers’ problem.’
Likely places to find an Asian hornet at this time of year include, on ripe fruit such as apples, and flowering ivy, where two male hornets were seen in Dungeness, in 2018. After the leaves have dropped it should also be possible to see nests that were concealed in trees – and these should also be reported. KEITH HOOKER explains, ‘Many of the queens which overwinter will stay in the same area to begin their own nest the following year. If we know where the nests were, we will have a greater chance of finding the new ones the following year.’
A local beekeeper who visited Jersey in order to gauge the scale of the problem reports, ‘Many of the nests found in Jersey have been in a location which could be easily accessed by people. While the hornets are unlikely to bother you whilst away from the nest, they are defensive of it, so a nest should never be disturbed.’
Key facts:
- 25-30mm length
- Mostly black
- Yellow legs
- Orange face
- One yellow segment on abdomen
- Harmful to native pollinators
- Dangerous to people if nests are in close proximity to humans
Sightings of hornets should be reported as soon as possible via the Asian hornet watch app (where different species can also be compared) or via alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk. Please include a photograph and your location. If you require help in obtaining a photo, please ask your local beekeeping association for help.