BRITS are being warned to be on the look out for killer Asian hornets.
It comes after two nests were found just weeks apart.
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The hornets, called Vespa velutina, have strong stings that can cause painful and potentially deadly allergic reactions – and Brits are urged to report any sightings.
The 25mm-long creatures eat bees, with experts stating that they can “butcher” 90,000 pollinating insects in just one season.
Sightings of the species were first reported in Britain in 2016, after they became accidentally introduced to Europe back in 2004, in a container of Chinese crockery which arrived in France.
In 2023, a record 72 Asian hornet nests were found in the UK, with numbers falling to 24 in 2024 thanks to the colder spring temperatures.
However, thanks to the high temperatures felt across the UK this summer, experts fear this year’s number could be even higher than it was two years ago.
In the latest incident, two nests were discovered in a town in Kent.
Beekeepers confirm findings
The British Beekeepers Association (BBA) has confirmed the latest findings.
Both nests were discovered in Broadstairs, a coastal town on the Isle of Thanet in the Thanet district of east Kent.
The South East – and Kent in particular – is on the front-line of the battle to tackle the invasive species.
Asian hornets are large insects that prey on smaller creatures.
They have a direct impact on honey bee colonies by killing them to feed their own brood.
A single hornet can kill up to 40 bees per minute due to its large mandibles.
The hornet is usually home to temperate and tropical East Asia, South Asia, Mainland Southeast Asia, and parts of the Russian Far East.
Climate change theory
Scientists have previously warned that nests have been found in East Sussex, Kent, Devon and Dorset.
They are concerned that climate change will make conditions in Britain favourable for the hornets.
Dr Gavin Broad from the Natural History Museum previously told the BBC: “We are transporting all sorts of plants and animals – fungi even – outside of their native ranges to places where the local environment has not evolved along with them, so they cause many threats to food security, to our native animals and plants.”
Anyone who comes across the insects or a nest is urged to contact the BBA immediately.
