INVASIVE Asian hornets, notorious predators from East Asia, are spreading rapidly throughout Britain after shattering sighting records last year.
Record numbers of these bee-killing pests were confirmed last year, but new evidence has revealed they have spread further across Britain than previously thought.
In early January, a dead hornet nest was found near Wrexham, leading the Welsh Government to urge the public to stay vigilant in the months ahead and report any suspected sightings.
Authorities destroyed 161 nests nationwide in 2025 – the highest on record – with laboratory-confirmed sightings hitting 176, surpassing 2023’s 57 confirmations and 73 removals.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs received 544 credible reports that year.
Huw Irranca-Davies, deputy first minister of Wales, said: “The National Bee Unit has years of experience tracking and locating yellow-legged hornets so their expertise will be invaluable in helping us take action against the insect in Wales.
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“I’d like to thank beekeepers and members of the public who I know remain alert and continue to report suspected sightings
“We need everyone to become familiar with what yellow-legged hornets look like.
“As the weather warms up in the spring and especially on into the summer, please continue to be vigilant.”
The British Beekeepers Association is worried about the acute threat to honeybees and native insects this infestation poses.
One hornet can kill 60-90 bees daily – and swarms can destroy entire hives.
These predators target around 1,400 insect species, such as bumblebees, butterflies, hoverflies, and beetles.
Asian hornets were first found in the UK in 2016 near Tetbury, Gloucestershire.
They are smaller than native European hornets, with yellow legs, an orange face, and a black or brown body banded by a yellow-orange stripe.
If you spot these asian hornets in your area, you can report this via the Asian Hornet Watch app.
This app is available to download on both Apple and Android devices.
You can also report any sightings online at irecord.org.uk/enter-non-native-records.
For information on how to report and spot Asian hornets, guidance is available here: https://www.nonnativespecies.org/non-native-species/species-alerts/#Species_53
