Page 29 - April 2024 Newsletter

abdomen is a better indicator.
When and where can they be found?

Asian Hornets are easiest to see around flowers, on over-ripe fruit, carrion,
close to water and, unfortunately, around bee hives from late spring through to
late Autumn.

In spring, Queen Asian Hornets are active from after the last frost and will be
looking to create a Primary Nest. These are typically low down in sheltered plac-
es e.g. under eaves of houses, in sheds, perhaps near last year’s nest. The pri-
mary nest is off-white in colour, similar to a wasp’s nest, but smaller. They start
the size of a golf ball and grow to the size of a small melon.
In early Summer the hornets build a secondary nest, which is far larger than the
Primary Nest, and can be as large as 80 cm in height and 50 cm wide. These
secondary nests are typically high up in trees, but increasingly below 5 metres
in hedges, long grass and even in structures like buildings. It is often difficult to
see these Secondary Nests until the leaves fall.

Can Asian Hornets sting?
They can and the sting is more toxic than a wasp sting. What’s more, they can
sting repeatedly. Generally, away from the nest they are not aggressive but be-
come highly defensive if the nest is threatened in which case they attack fero-
ciously and en masse. Nests in hedges and long grass can be disturbed acci-
dently whilst, for example hedge cutting, retrieving cricket balls, by dogs and by
other outdoor activities etc. Sports people, walkers, hedge cutters, tree sur-
geons and the like are particularly vulnerable to being stung.
What, and How, to report after a suspected sighting

If you think you have spotted an Asian Hornet, please note its location, take a
photo or better still make a video of it, if you can, and note the direction it flies
off. Then report this to the Non-Native Species Secretariat {NNSS}. part of DE-
FRA.
To report a suspected sighting, there is an App, The Asian Hornet Watch App,
which is available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. It offers a
guide to identifying the insects as well as a means to report a sighting.
If the sighting is positive, further investigations by the Asian Hornet specialists
will be triggered including tracking and tracing the nest and its eradication.

NEVER DELIBERATELY INTERFERE WITH AN ASIAN HORNET NEST.

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