Shropshire plea to look out for hornets deadly to bees

Since 2016 there have been a total of 15 confirmed sightings of the Asian hornet in England and six nests have been destroyed.

Asian hornets can eat up to 50 bees a day. An Asian hornet sighting was confirmed in the Tamworth area of Staffordshire on September 2.

This was the second report this year, the first was in July in New Milton in Hampshire.

In each case, the hornets were spotted and reported by a member of the public.

Shropshire Beekeepers Association is now asking people to be on the look out for the hornets.

Anne Rowberry, who is the British Beekeeping Association's Asian hornet coordinator, said: “We are asking everyone to be vigilant in looking out for this alien species, the Asian Hornet, Vespa velutina.

"It could decimate our pollinators, including our honey bees, it is important to have everyone actively looking for it. It’s not just a beekeeping problem."

The risk of an active Asian hornet nest being found in the UK is negligible during the colder winter months, but higher during the summer and autumn.

As the leaves fall people may be able to spot a disused nest.

Anyone who spots a nest or an Asian hornet is asked to send photos and reports to alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk