Honey bee-killing Asian hornet confirmed in Cornwall

A sighting of the honey bee killing Asian hornet has been confirmed in Cornwall.

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said work was already under way to identify any nests and destroy them.

The latest sighting of the Asian hornet in the UK was in the Fowey area of south Cornwall.

Bee inspectors from the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit have started carrying out surveillance and monitoring a 2km radius around the initial sighting.

It is smaller than the native hornet and poses no greater risk to human health than a bee but does pose a risk to honey bees.

Nicola Spence, Defra deputy director for plant and bee health, said: “While the Asian hornet poses no greater risk to human health than a bee, we recognise the damage they can cause to honey bee colonies.

“That’s why we are taking swift and robust action to locate and investigate any nests in the south Cornwall areas following this confirmed sighting.

“Following the successful containment of the Asian hornet incursion in North Devon last year and Tetbury previously, we have a well-established protocol in place to eradicate them and control any potential spread.

“We remain vigilant across the country, working closely with the National Bee Unit and their nationwide network of bee inspectors.”

Professor Juliet Osborne, from the University of Exeter, is a leading expert on Asian hornets and described the latest sighting as “concerning”.

“Last year a nest was found in Devon, and the year before in Gloucestershire,” she said.

“This suggests that further sightings, particularly in the South West of the UK, are highly likely and we must all be vigilant.

“It is an invasive species providing a major new emerging threat to our beleaguered pollinator populations.

“We have developed a method to radio-track these Asian hornets back to find their nests, and will be working with Defra in their aim to contain any new sightings.

“It is vital that we find out more about the actual impact of the hornet on both honey bee hives and our wild pollinators, and at the University of Exeter in Cornwall we are developing research plans to do so.”