BEEKEEPERS are urging residents to help in the fight against the invasive Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet.
Stratford-on-Avon Beekeepers Association is calling on people across Warwickshire districts to to report any sightings of the non-native predators that can wipe out honey bee colonies and devastate native insect populations.
Unlike species with more specialised diets, they are opportunistic hunters – feeding on some 1,400 different insect species including honey bees, bumble bees, butterflies, hoverflies and beetles.
And a single queen can establish a nest, leading to thousands of hornets and multiple queens next season.
“This year is already a record-breaker for yellow-legged Asian hornets. Their numbers have soared and there have been more sightings and nest discoveries this season than in all previous years put together,” said association secretary Ruth Richardson.
“Predominantly it is Kent and East Sussex on the front line but there have been sightings elsewhere and they could turn up just anywhere in the country.”
“They don’t just threaten honey production – they also threaten pollination, biodiversity, and our entire food system. One nest consumes around 11 kilos of insects in a single season.”
The yellow-legged hornet is often confused with harmless native species. Key features of the predator are that it is slightly smaller than the native European hornet at around 3cm, almost entirely dark brown or black body, with distinctive bright yellow knee socks and single yellow/orange band near the tail end.
Anyone who thinks they see one is urged to take a clear photo from a safe distance, record the location and report immediately via the free Asian Hornet Watch app (iOS and Android)
Visit www.bbka.org.uk for further details.
