Stirring up a hornet's nest: invasive species on the rise

Public asked to report sightings of Asian wasps over summer

- REBECCA SPEARE-COLE

The public has been warned of a potential surge in damaging invasive non-native species this summer, including Asian hornets and Japanese knotweed.

The UK’s chief plant health officer Nicola Spence has called for beekeepers and the wider public to be increasingly vigilant to the presence of the hornet after record sightings in the country last year. Asian hornets threaten honey bees and insect pollinators. The environment department (Defra) said the species is not established in the UK yet but early trapping is fundamental to eradication efforts.

The Wildlife and Countryside Link (WCL), which represents 83 nature organisations, warned that recent flooding and warming temperatures have increased the risk of problem species already in the UK growing and spreading. This includes Japanese knotweed, which can cause structural damage, giant hogweed, with sap that can cause burns to skin, and Himalayan balsam, which out-competes native species and increases flood risks.