Asian hornet sightings soar in Kent

Asian hornets can "decimate" bee hives a Kent beekeepers' association has warned, after it was revealed that nearly 110 hornet nests have been found and destroyed in the county this year.

Sightings of this invasive, non-native species, also known as a yellow-legged hornet, have been growing in recent years.

Asian hornets feed on insects and are a threat to bees, because they like to feed bee grubs and dismembered adult bee thoraxes to their young, beekeepers say.

Julian Newton, from the Laddingford and District Beekeepers Association, said 2025 had been "our worst year both for sightings and nests [of hornets]".