Asian hornets may already be established in UK, experts warn, amid fears for bees

It is likely the Asian hornet has become established in the UK, conservationists fear, as a record number of nests have been found.

- Helena Hortom

There has been a sharp rise in sightings of the invasive species in the UK this year; the previous two years only had two sightings each, whereas there have been 22 confirmed so far in 2023. In total there have been 45 sightings since 2016, mostly in Kent.

The government's strategy is to locate and kill every hornet and destroy all nests to prevent them from staying over winter and multiplying. Once they are established, it is almost impossible to get rid of them.

The bumblebee conservation expert Dave Goulson, a professor of biology at the University of Sussex, said he feared it was likely the hornets had become established in Kent.

He said: "It is a bit too early to say for sure but the situation looks ominous, with a record nine nests found and destroyed this year so far. If even one nest evades detection and reproduces it will then probably become impossible to prevent them establishing." Goulson said they would probably remain for good once established. "I think it is inevitable that they will eventually establish in the UK, and once here it is hard to see how they could be eliminated," he said.