Asian hornet nest found in Somerset for first time

2 hours ago

Chris LockyerSomerset

A beekeeper spotted the Asian Hornet at his beehives near Street

Barry Hulatt A very close up image of an Asian Hornet laid on its side. It has yellow-legs, wings as long as its body and large antenna. — A beekeeper spotted the Asian Hornet at his beehives near Street

A nest of yellow-legged Asian hornets has been discovered in Somerset for the first time, the government has said.

The predatory insects, as their name suggests, are native to Asia, but have been growing in numbers across Europe since the 2000s and have become a problem in the Channel Islands.

A beekeeper in Ashcott, near Street, discovered one of the hornets near his beehives, and the main nest was found in nearby woodland and destroyed on Wednesday.

Lynne Ingram, a master beekeeper and the head of the Asian Hornet Action Team in Somerset, said the species is very invasive so needs reporting and destroying as soon as any are discovered.

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An electronic tracker was placed on the hornet in a bid to find the nest

Barry Hulatt A hornet on some brush and twigs on the ground, with a metal chip attached to its stinger. The shot is taken from above. — An electronic tracker was placed on the hornet in a bid to find the nest

The hornet found near the beehives was tagged electronically to help the team follow it back to the nest.

Ingram said: "You attach a little electronic tag to a hornet... and then what happens is we had these handheld devices, and you pick up a signal from the electronic tag, and that means as the hornet flies back to her nest you can follow the signal from that tag."

She said the discovery of the species in Somerset is worrying, not least because of its ability to establish itself quickly in new areas.

"A nest will consume a huge number of pollinators... about 90,000 insects," Ingram said.

"We're losing lots of species and things and we don't want to add to it by Asian hornets or yellow-legged hornets consuming more insects."

The hornets can become aggressive when their nests are discovered, Ingram added, so she wanted to avoid the public being worried about coming across one.

Master beekeeper Lynne Ingram said Asian hornets are very invasive

Lynne Ingram is wearing a protective beekeeping uniform and is standing near bushes. — Master beekeeper Lynne Ingram said Asian hornets are very invasive

Two people in white protective suits are searching through bushes. — The nest was removed on Wednesday

The National Bee Unit, which is run by the government's Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), said the insect had been accidentally introduced to Europe in 2004, in a consignment of Chinese pottery sent to the South of France, and has since established itself in a number of countries.

It was first discovered in the UK in 2016 in Tetbury, with more than 100 sightings of the hornet since then, though it has yet to become established in the country due to proactive activity to find and destroy nests.

Asian hornets, which are smaller than native species to the UK, have yellow legs and an orange face, and prey on insects including honey bees.

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