Increase in the number of Asian hornets reported in the UK poses a big threat to native species
So far this year, 39 Asian hornets have been seen in England. These sightings mark a huge increase on previous years, with only two in 2021, and just one in 2022. The highest number of sightings since the species was first spotted in the UK, in 2016, occurred in 2018, when a total of nine were recorded.
The cause for this sudden escalation, according to experts, is most likely the species’ increased range and frequency in Europe. “The Asian hornet has continued to spread in a number of countries neighbouring the UK,” explains professor Helen Roy, an invasive-species ecologist at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. “It’s likely that this has resulted in an increase in the number of Asian hornets reaching the UK through the summer. They could have flown across the English Channel, but can also be unintentionally transported and introduced by people, for example, with goods.”
The Asian hornet is smaller than the native European hornet, and the two species can also be distinguished by colouration. The Asian hornet has an orange face with a darker top and antennae, partially yellow legs, and a body that is black and orange (see above).
Native to South-East Asia, the Asian hornet was accidentally introd
