![\"Asian](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/asian-hornet.png\")
<\/p>\nBritons are being warned of an “unprecedented” invasion of killer Asian hornets expected to hit the UK this spring.<\/p>\n
The 25mm-long creatures, known as Vespa velutina, pose a significant threat with their painful stings that can cause potentially deadly allergic reactions.<\/p>\n
First spotted in Britain in 2016, these invasive insects have already been sighted in unusually high numbers this year.<\/p>\n
Experts fear the recent warm temperatures across the UK could lead to hornet numbers surpassing previous records. Last week, “unprecedented” early sightings of the killer hornets were recorded in Jersey.<\/p>\n
First spotted in Britain in 2016, these invasive insects have already been sighted in unusually high numbers this year<\/p>\n
GETTY<\/p>\n
On April 11, a total of 262 Asian hornets were spotted on the Channel Island, marking a staggering increase of 1090 per cent. <\/p>\n
John De Carteret, a founding member of the Jersey Asian Hornet Group, noted: “The first queens were more than two weeks early this year. We’re obviously concerned.”<\/p>\n
“When we reach 266 queens, we will equal the total from 2024 – and that figure wasn’t reached until June 25.”<\/p>\n
January also saw the earliest ever confirmed UK sighting in Oswestry, Shropshire.<\/p>\n
MORE LIKE THIS:<\/strong><\/p>\n These hornets pose a serious threat to Britain’s bee population, with experts warning they can “butcher” 90,000 pollinating insects in just one season.<\/p>\n Ian Campbell at the British Beekeepers Association explained that a typical nest of between 2,000 and 3,000 hornets can consume more than 11kg of insects per season.<\/p>\n This is equivalent to the weight of 90,000 bees.<\/p>\n In 2023, a record 72 Asian hornet nests were found in the UK, with numbers falling to 24 in 2024 due to colder spring temperatures.<\/p>\n Campbell has issued a stark warning about the potential for 2025, stating: “There’s a strong risk of this year’s numbers being at least as high as in 2023 and the potential to be even higher.”<\/p>\n “It would be a surprise if numbers were not above the 2024 level,” he added.<\/p>\n Experts attribute the expected surge to the high temperatures experienced across the UK in recent weeks.<\/p>\n This follows a pattern where 2023 saw record numbers, before a drop in 2024 that was linked to colder spring temperatures.<\/p>\n GETTY<\/p>\n The public is urged to report any sightings to the government’s National Bee Unit via the Asian Hornet Watch app or online.<\/p>\n These invasive insects can be identified by their yellow legs and distinctive orange band on the fourth section of their bodies.<\/p>\n While not typically aggressive, Asian hornets will defend their nests if threatened.<\/p>\n If stung, experts advise washing the area with soap and cool water, then applying ice to prevent venom spread.<\/p>\n Unlike bees, these hornets don’t leave a stinger behind.<\/p>\n Those experiencing multiple stings or allergic reactions should seek immediate medical attention.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Britons are being warned of an “unprecedented” invasion of killer Asian hornets expected to hit the UK this…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23356,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3847],"tags":[12,70,512,16,1259,15,1717],"class_list":{"0":"post-23355","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-news","9":"tag-science","10":"tag-sgg","11":"tag-uk","12":"tag-uk-news","13":"tag-united-kingdom","14":"tag-wildlife"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114344778992186952","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23355\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Asian](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1744762750_656_asian-hornet.png\")