The British honeybee population is sharply declining, and the public has been asked to be vigilant for potential Asian hornet sightings in the UK. The Asian hornet has been spotted in Britain since 2016, and the species raid honeybee hives, killing bees as they leave and enter. The Asian hornet, also known as the yellow legged hornet, has already decimated bee populations across Europe, and beekeepers are determined not to let the species have the same devastating impact in the UK.
Why are scientists concerned about Asian hornets?
Dr Gavin Broad, a wasp expert at the Natural History Museum, explained why Asian hornets are a threat to British honeybees.
He said: “The issue is that they eat honeybees.
“They are specialised honeybee predators and beekeepers are concerned.
“The hornets raid honeybee hives by sitting outside them and capturing workers as they go in and out. They chop them up and feed the thorax to their young.”
READ MORE: Asian ‘murder’ hornets Threat to human life ‘is there’
What do Asian hornets look like?
An Asian hornet, or the yellow legged hornet, is indigenous to Southeast Asia.
According to the Animal & Plant Health Agency, a yellow legged hornet has an entirely black and velvety thorax, with a distinct orange head.
The hornet’s abdomen is black, bordered with a fine yellow band and a yellow fourth segment.
Legs are brown and tipped with distinct yellow ends.
You can also download the ‘Asian Hornet Watch app’ onto your phone to report any sightings that way.
If you are not entirely certain if you have an Asian hornet nest in your garden, it is still a good idea to report your sightings.
Biosecurity Minister Lord Gardiner said when the app was launched in 2017: “This innovative new app is designed to be easy to use and allows people to report quickly any possible sightings of Asian hornets, which will help us to halt their spread.
“This invasive species poses a threat to our native honey bees and we must do all we can to encourage vigilance – this new technology will advance this.”