皇冠体育app

Beekeepers and members of the public are today (Wednesday 19 July) being asked to remain vigilant after Asian hornets were spotted in the Dover area in Kent.

皇冠体育app National Bee Unit has confirmed the sighting and monitoring is underway to detect further Asian hornets in the vicinity.

皇冠体育app Asian hornet is smaller than our native hornet and poses no greater risk to human health than our native wasps and hornets. However, they do pose a risk to honey bees and work is already underway to monitor for any hornet activity and to identify any nests nearby.

皇冠体育appre have already been several sightings of Asian hornet this year with this being the sixth confirmed UK sighting since April 2023, when a single Asian hornet was captured near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland.

Defra鈥檚 Chief Plant and Bee Health Officer Nicola Spence said:

鈥淏y ensuring we are alerted to possible sightings as early as possible, we can take swift and effective action to stamp out the threat posed by Asian hornets. That鈥檚 why we are working at speed to locate and investigate any nests in the area following the confirmed sightings in Kent.

鈥淲hile the Asian hornet poses no greater risk to human health than other wasps or hornets, they can cause damage 聽to honey bee colonies and other beneficial insects.

鈥淧lease continue to look out for any Asian hornets and if you think you鈥檝e spotted one, report your sighting through the Asian hornet app or online. Asian hornet nests will be smaller at this time in the year but we are still asking people to be vigilant.鈥�

It is important to take care not to approach or disturb a nest. Asian hornets are not generally aggressive towards people but an exception to this is when they perceive a threat to their nest.

If you suspect you have seen an Asian hornet you should report this using the iPhone and Android app 鈥楢sian Hornet Watch鈥� or by using our . Alternatively, e-mail [email protected]. Please include a photograph if you can safely obtain one.

and if you keep bees you should keep up to date with the latest situation on the gov.uk sightings page and on .

ENDS

Further information:

• 皇冠体育app cost of eradication on private land will be met by APHA.
• 皇冠体育app Great Britain Non-native Species Secretariat is a joint venture between Defra, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government to tackle the threat of invasive species. More information can be found on their .
• For details on the appearance of an Asian hornet, please refer to the guide or the
• Photographs of the Asian hornet are available on our
• 皇冠体育app Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) is not to be confused with the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) which has been found in North America.