Stamford and Bourne Beekeepers Association calls on public to report sightings of invasive Asian hornets as their arrival in Lincolnshire is ‘inevitable’

A dramatic increase in Asian hornet nests could eventually prove devastating for bee populations and our food chain.

Record numbers of sightings of the predator, which feasts on honey bees, wasps and other insects, have been reported in the UK.

Thirty Asian hornet nests have been found so far this year – double the number of those found in the last six years combined.

This has sparked a national campaign, urging people to contact the National Bee Unit if a hornet is spotted so they can by formally identified and their nests destroyed.

Stewart Maher, the Asian hornet coordinator for Lincolnshire Beekeepers Association, described the situation as perilous.

He said: “The Asian hornet is an ecological disaster. The past few years have been a ticking time bomb for bees, with climate change, intensive farming and the decrease in flora and fauna all adding up - but it is beyond devastating that we are now seeing the numbers of Asian hornet nests increase dramatically in Britain.

“This is an invasive species; our bees do not have any defences against them - but we can protect them. We can be their defence.”

Beekeeping associations across the country have been alerted to the crisis and asked to warn their members.

Richard Griffin is chairman of the Stamford and Bourne Beekeepers Association. It has 100 members whose collections range from one hive to 150.

Richard said: “Bees are our main pollinators and we need them to be able to produce fruit and vegetables. If we lose them, we lose our pollination.

“Asian hornets have the ability to destroy complete colonies of bees so this is an exceptionally serious and potentially devastating threat.”

Native to Asia, their presence in Europe was first recorded in France in 2004 when a hornet is thought to have arrived in a consignment of pottery from China. They arrived in the UK in 2016.

While the Asian hornet poses no greater risk to human health than any other wasp or hornet, it can cause huge damage to bee colonies and other insects.

While 2022 saw just two sightings reported in the entire year, 30 have been recorded so far this year, mostly in Kent and the south east.

Where found, hornet nests are destroyed by experts working for the National Bee Unit in a desperate attempt to protect the UK’s native species from further harm.

An Asian hornet measures around 2.5cm to 3cm. Its abdomen is mostly black except for the fourth segment of its tummy which has a yellow or orange coloured band. Its legs have bright yellow tips and its face is orange with two brownish red eyes.

If you think you see an Asian hornet or nest, you should do one of the following:

- take a photo on your phone for identification and report it using the Asian Hornet Watch app, which is available on iOS and Android

- report it online to the National Bee Unit here or call 0300 303 0094

- contact the Lincolnshire Beekeepers Association on 07891 989209