Experts fear a surge of “butcher” Asian hornets in the UK this year after the dry and sunny start to spring. The 25mm-long yellow-legged hornets can kill 90,000 pollinating insects in just one season.
They were first seen in Britain in 2016 and last year successfully bred and over-wintered here for the first time. Last year’s cold and washout spring saw sightings plummet from 72 in 2023 to just 24. But this year’s warm spring and the rapid spread of the species in Europe will lead to a surge in numbers, experts fear.
“Unprecedented” early sightings of Asian hornets have already been recorded in Jersey, The Observer reported. There were 262 queen Asian hornets recorded on the island by April 11, a year-on-year increase of 1,090%.
A typical nest of between 2,000 and 3,000 Asian hornets can devour more than 11kg of insects a season – about the weight of 90,000 bees. The public is being urged to “be vigilant everywhere” and learn how to identify and report Asian hornets.
They have yellow legs and a distinctive orange band on the fourth segment of their abdomens. Their strong stings can cause painful and potentially deadly allergic reactions.
The hornets were accidentally introduced to Europe in a container of Chinese crockery in France in 2004. France is believed to have more than a half a million nests.
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