Urgent ‘keep vigilant’ warning as killer Asian hornets to blow up in ‘worst ever’ yr

Experts reckon that the hot weather will see an explosion in activity among queen Asian hornets – which will see sightings this year hit the 1,000 mark this year, almost a doubling of 2025

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The population of Asian Hornets is set to explode across the country, with 2026 set to be ‘worst ever’ year, according to experts.

Queen hornets are currently building ‘primary’ nests, which, when established, will go on to expand into a colony of nests in the area, each capable of producing 350 more queens.

The hornets, which can grow to nearly 1.5-inches long, first arrived in the UK in 2016, when there were three ‘confirmed sightings’, according to DEFRA. They first arrived in France in 2004 after arriving in a shipment of pottery from China, and in 2015 stings from the critters killed six people in France. They are now widespread in France and confirmed sightings in the UK have rocketed in the past decade.

In 2016 – the first time an Asian Hornet was spotted in the UK – there were just three confirmed sightings of the flying pests across the UK, according to DEFRA. In 2017, there was just one confirmed sighting, rising to 9 sightings in 2018, just 5 in 2019, only 1 in 2020, 2 in 2021, 2 in 2022, 56 in 2023, and 40 in 2024.

Last year, that soared to 544 confirmed sightings of the pests, also known as ‘yellow-legged hornets’.

From the highest number, 56 in 2023, to 2025, that’s a rise of 871%.

Already this year there have been sightings in Wrexham in Wales, Bridport, Dorset – and multiple sightings in Jersey and Guernsey, signalling that more are on the way over from France.

A spokesman for DEFRA said: “There has been a total of 544 credible sightings of yellow-legged hornets in 2025.”

The spokesman also confirmed that 161 Asian Hornet nests were found and destroyed in 2025 – compared to 109 nests destroyed from 2016 until 2024.

Experts reckon that the hot weather approaching – set to hit 27C this week – will see an explosion in activity among queen Asian hornets – which will see sightings this year hit the 1,000 mark this year, almost a doubling of 2025.

They reckon the number of nests and sightings is going to ‘go through the roof’, with each nest capable of producing 350 queens, which can then go on to set up their own nest.

The hornets, apart from being deadly, are also notorious bee killers and a swarm of Asian hornets – called Vespa velutina – can kill off a hive of 30,000 honey bees within hours, with each hornet eating up to 50 bees a day.

Luke Newnes, an expert in Asian Hornets – who works for gardening firm Hillarys – said today (Tue) that the hot weather coming later this week will see an ‘acceleration’ in activity, and more Asian hornets than ever. He said: “With the Met Office confirming 2026 is tracking as one of the warmest years in recent records, the warmer conditions are likely to accelerate emergence activity. “The sharp increase in UK sightings throughout 2025 has also raised concerns that larger numbers of queens may have successfully overwintered compared to previous years.

“Once secondary nests are established, a single colony can produce hundreds of new queens capable of spreading across large parts of the country before hibernation.

He added: “The concern with Asian Hornets is how quickly populations can scale once queens establish successfully.

“What makes 2026 particularly concerning is the acceleration we’re now seeing in both sightings and geographical spread.

“We’re no longer talking about isolated coastal incidents. Sightings are appearing much further inland, and many experts now believe the focus has shifted from eradication to long-term management.”

He added: “The most important thing people can do right now is stay vigilant.

“Download the Asian Hornet Watch app and report suspected sightings quickly – this can make a significant difference in slowing the spread.

“Homeowners should keep an eye on flowering plants, fruit trees and areas with high bee activity, where hornets are often seen hovering while hunting pollinators.

“If a nest is suspected, it’s extremely important never to approach or attempt to remove it yourself, as Asian Hornets can become aggressive when disturbed.”

Beekeeper Calum Walters, 71, of St Albans, Herts, said the huge rise in Asian Hornets was a worry for the whole country.

The veteran beekeeper, who has had hives for more than 30 years, said: “The hornets can decimate bee populations and kill off hives, and of course, they can even kill people.“

We were warned by DEFRA that more than 500 sightings were made last year, and this is expected to rise exponentially – so 1,000 sightings or more this year are to be expected.”

A project by Defra and the University of Exeter was tasked with tracking down and destroying Asian hornet nests in 2023. Dr Peter Kennedy and his team captured Asian Hornets and fitted them with electronic tags, so they could trace their nests and destroy them. He said: “The only means of halting the spread, or limiting it, is to find and destroy nests as soon as possible.”