Asian hornets UK: are stings dangerous, what a nest looks like, reporting, can they kill, how did they arrive?

Invasive Asian hornets have survived a UK winter for the first time, confirmed by DNA analysis, indicating they could establish themselves permanently in the country.

The species (Vespa velutina) poses a significant threat to honey bees and native pollinators, potentially impacting biodiversity The hornets, capable of dismembering and eating up to 50 bees a day, previously entered the UK from France during warmer months.

DNA samples collected from hornets trapped by the National Bee Unit in Four Oaks, Kent, revealed they were offspring of a nest destroyed in November 2023 in nearby Rye.

A single nest can produce 350 queens, though about 90% do not survive the winter. However, each surviving queen can start a new colony.

Read more: Britons urged to look out for invasive insects this summer

The National Bee Unit says more evidence is needed to classify the species as naturalised in the UK, which requires a reproducing population present in the wild for several generations. Currently, only one generation has been found.

The British Bee Keepers Association is now searching for other nests before new queens emerge.

Native to Southeast Asia, Asian hornets can spread globally through cargo. They are widespread in mainland Europe, with France hosting an estimated 500,000 nests, according to the British Bee Keepers Association.

While Asian hornets can sting, and their sting can be painful, they pose no significant risk to human health unless someone is allergic to their venom.

But they are deadly to honey bees and other essential native pollinators. They can consume up to 11kg of insects annually, with one hornet eating up to 50 bees a day.

They wait outside honeybee hives to capture bees as they enter and exit, feeding their young with the thoraxes of the smaller insects.

The British Bee Keepers Association has urged the public to report sightings of Asian hornets via the Asian Hornet Watch app. The insect, slightly smaller than its European counterpart, has an orange band at the base of its abdomen and distinctive yellow legs.

The species first arrived in Europe in 2004, spotted in France, likely transported in cargo from Asia. Asian hornets were first found in the UK in September 2016.

Last year, the National Bee Unit, part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), destroyed 72 nests in 56 locations, primarily in Kent.

"There is a high risk of this species becoming established in the UK, and it will take intensive effort to limit the speed of spread," the unit said.

Defra has pledged to respond swiftly and effectively to any further sightings. Nests and sightings have been reported in areas including Canterbury, Rye, Folkestone, Sandwich, and Four Oaks.

Asian hornet nests typically have a papery appearance, similar to the nests of other hornet species, and are often built in elevated locations, such as trees or shrubs, but can also be found in human-made structures like buildings or utility poles.

The nests can vary in size depending on the stage of development and the number of hornets inhabiting them, ranging from small to quite large.