Don’t confuse our European hornet with aggressive, bee-killing Asian invader

There has been an increasing amount of media coverage recently about the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) and how it is about to invade the country and destroy the honey bee.

Although, not unusually for the media, this is somewhat alarmist, it is true that the Asian hornet is not a welcome visitor to our shores.

The European hornet is a reasonably common sight in the summer and is indeed a rather fearsome looking creature, being some 2cm to 3cm in length. They are, however, rarely aggressive. Unlike wasps, they are unlikely to disrupt your picnic.

The image shows the relative size and colour of the Asian hornet and the European hornet alongside the wasp and the honey bee.

As can be seen, the appearance of the Asian hornet is quite different to the European hornet, having a dark brown or black, velvety body and yellow-tipped legs. It is smaller than the native European hornet.

The Asian hornet poses no greater risk to humans than our native wasps and hornets but it is a highly aggressive predator of native insects and poses a significant threat to honey bees and other pollinators. It hunts honey bees along with other insects and also feeds on fruit and flowers. Once an Asian hornet has discovered a honey beehive it can consume 50 honey bees a day and a swarm of them is capable of killing a hive of 30,000.

The Asian hornet was introduced to France in 2004 and is now widespread there.

Of concern to us is that an increasing number of confirmed sightings and nests are now being recorded in the UK, mostly in Kent, not far from the coast.

It will usually, although not exclusively, nest high in trees and man-made structures.

There are efforts currently being made to find and destroy nests to slow down the spread but it is likely that the hornet will win in the end and will become widespread across the country.

As beekeepers, we are looking at how best to protect our bees and various options, including traps and deterrents, are being considered.

The British Beekeeping Association has put together a quiz for the public on its website, together with some general information to help identify and report any sightings at https://www.bbka.org.uk/general-public-asian-hornet-quiz

So please be vigilant but check carefully as, at the moment at least, you are more likely to encounter our European hornet than you are the Asian variety. — Yours faithfully,

Sue Remenyi

Kidmore End