Good news for bees as yellow-legged hornets kept away from UK

A new study has found that the yellow-legged hornet, also known as the Asian hornet, has been stopped from establishing in the UK - which scientists are 'buzzing' about!

Hornets are bad news for pollinators like bees, as hornets think they're a tasty snack.

Ecologists say they've destroyed many honeybee colonies in France and Italy.

The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) found that the hornets would have settled in parts of the UK by 2020 if action hadn't been taken.

But thanks to people reporting sightings and authorities finding and removing hornet nests this hasn't happened. Beee-rilliant!

While it may look like a villain from a superhero film - this is in the face of a yellow-legged hornet!

How did the yellow-legged hornet arrive in Europe?

A yellow-legged hornet first arrived in France in a pottery container 20 years ago, having travelled all the way from China.

They then rapidly spread throughout Europe.

As of December 2023, the species is considered to be established in France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Jersey in the Channel Islands.

It was first seen in the UK in 2016. There have been regular sightings, including 44 confirmed so far this year, mostly in Kent and East Sussex.

Once a sighting is reported, the National Bee Unit then comes to the rescue to destroy any of their nests.

Lead author Dr Richard Hassall of UKCEH explains: "No significant spread has yet been reported in UK" and says that while there are established yellow-legged hornets in Germany and the Netherlands, they are confident that the spread of these hornets will be limited.

You can see a wasp on the left and a yellow-legged hornet on the right

How do you tell the difference between a yellow-legged hornet and a wasp?

The species has recently been renamed the yellow-legged hornet to help identify it - as it has dark legs that are yellow at the end.

They are larger than wasps and have a distinctive colour pattern.

This hornet has a dark body and a segment at the end which is yellow and black, while wasps have yellow and black rings.

The Asian Hornet Watch app has received around 12,500 reports of sightings so far this year.

It says that only a fraction of these were confirmed as yellow-legged hornet, with most being the native European hornet or hoverflies and other insects.

This is what a yellow-legged hornet nest looks like

What should you do if you see a yellow-legged hornet?

If you do think you've seen one - don't get too close! Instead you can get a parent or guardian to try and take a clear picture of it by zooming in.

You can then ask your adult to check the guides online and upload the photo to the Asian Hornet Watch app to help experts identify it.