Bee-killing Asian hornets swarming by the UK as pressing warning issued
Record numbers of invasive Asian hornets were spotted last year with 176 confirmed sightings across the UK. Earlier this month, a nest was found near Wrexham marking the first confirmed discovery of the bee-killing pest in Wales
Asian hornets are running wild (stock)(Image: Getty Images)
Record numbers of invasive Asian hornets were spotted last year – as new evidence found in 2026 shows this bee-killing pest has spread further across the UK than previously thought.
The creature, also known as a yellow-legged hornet, is a destructive invasive species from east Asia that was first documented in Europe in 2004. Earlier this month, a dead nest was discovered near Wrexham, leading the Welsh Government to urge people to remain “vigilant” in the coming months and report any suspected sightings.
This marks the first confirmed discovery of the insect in Wales. The finding comes after a record year for Asian hornet sightings across the UK. In 2025, 161 nests were located and eliminated.
A record 176 sightings of the creature have been verified through laboratory testing, though Defra (the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) reports there were 544 credible sightings last year.
The previous record occurred in 2023, when 57 confirmed sightings were recorded and 73 nests destroyed.
Huw Irranca-Davies, deputy first minister of Wales, said: “The National Bee Unit has years of experience tracking and locating yellow-legged hornets so their expertise will be invaluable in helping us take action against the insect in Wales.
“I’d like to thank beekeepers and members of the public who I know remain alert and continue to report suspected sightings”.
“We need everyone to become familiar with what yellow-legged hornets look like.
“As the weather warms up in the spring and especially on into the summer, please continue to be vigilant.”
The British Beekeepers Association has expressed grave alarm about the arrival of these “non-native predators that can wipe out honey bee colonies and devastate native insect populations”.
A solitary hornet is capable of slaughtering between 60 to 90 honeybees within a single day, whilst gangs of them will “hawk” a hive simultaneously by obliterating the bees.
Rather than species with more targeted feeding habits, they are opportunistic predators – devouring some 1,400 different insect species, including honey bees, bumble bees, butterflies, hoverflies and beetles.
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