Urgent Action Needed to Stop the Spread of Invasive Asian Hornets in the UK

Urgent Action Needed to Stop the Spread of Invasive Asian Hornets in the UK

Urgent Action Needed to Stop the Spread of Invasive Asian Hornets in the UK

The battle against the invasive Asian hornet is intensifying in South East England, as bee inspectors race to locate and destroy nests before new queens can emerge. The Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) bee team has already discovered 10 nests in Kent and Sussex, the regions hardest hit by sightings of these predatory insects. The urgency is clear: a single nest can harbor thousands of hornets, capable of consuming up to 11kg (24lb) of insects during a season, including vital pollinators like honeybees.

The threat is growing, with Asian hornet nests having the potential to produce hundreds of future queens each autumn. These newly fertilized queens, if they escape, will hibernate over the winter and establish new colonies in the spring. Last year, the National Bee Unit successfully destroyed 72 nests, but experts warn that the stakes are even higher this year.

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In Alkham, Kent, inspectors have already tracked one nest situated 30 meters (98 feet) up in a tree, with APHA’s Tracy Wilson explaining that the window for action is closing fast. “As we move into the autumn, more queens will be laid with the intention of dispersal,” she said. “We need to get to those nests before these additional queens can spread.”

The Asian hornet, native to Southeast Asia, has already wreaked havoc across mainland Europe, and now poses a serious threat to the UK's native species. While some beekeepers are skeptical that eradication can ever be fully achieved, others are looking to innovative solutions. On the Channel Island of Jersey, volunteers have been using a method involving tinsel tags on captured hornets, which allows them to trace the insects back to their nests.

In the UK, only APHA inspectors are legally allowed to release tagged hornets back into the wild, but beekeepers are urging the government to adopt the Jersey model more broadly. Meanwhile, the public is encouraged to stay vigilant and report sightings using the Asian Hornet Watch app, as even a single sighting could help stop a nest from establishing.

Asian hornets are a growing concern, not just for honeybees but for all pollinators, as they continue to spread from mainland Europe to the UK. The fight against these invasive insects is a race against time, and public awareness will play a critical role in the effort to stop them before they can further disrupt the UK’s ecosystems.

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