A confirmed record for the Asian Hornet has been found in Devon by the National Bee unit.

According to Defra, Asian hornets do not pose a greater risk to humans than native species, but they do pose a risk to honey bee colonies, and the APHA are therefore taking steps to identify and destroy any nests of this species to prevent them from becoming established on the UK mainland. This is the first confirmed sighting since 2016, when a nest was discovered and destroyed in Gloucestershire.

More information on the outbreak can be found on the GB non-native Species Secretariat website here. Information on how to identify the Asian hornet and separate it from our native Hornet species can be found on the factsheet below.