What To Do If I See An Asian Hornet

Vespa velutina, sometimes known as the ‘Asian hornet’ is an invasive non-native species from Asia. It has recently arrived in France where it is spreading rapidly. As a highly effective predator of insects, including honey bees and other beneficial species, it can cause significant losses to bee colonies, other native species and potentially ecosystems

An Asian hornet was last identified in the UK in September 2017. It was seen at an apiary near Woolacombe and work was undertaken to identify, destroy and remove any nests in the area.

The sighting in Devon is the first confirmed incident since September 2016 when a nest was discovered in the Tetbury area of Gloucestershire. It was successfully contained by bee inspectors


By Didier Descouens - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26722179

What to look out for

  • Legs brown with yellow ends
  • Head black with an orange-yellow face

If you think you have seen an Asian Hornet 

Take a picture and email it with details of where you saw it and your contact details and email it to alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk


For more information visit the Non Native Species Secretariat website.
