Sightings of yellow-legged (Asian) hornets in the UK have prompted a call for householders in Cheshire to check for “things that go buzz” this summer.
National trade body British Pest Control Association has reiterated the importance of correct identification to help prevent the spread of yellow-legged hornets, which are classed as an invasive species and pose a risk to native ecosystems, particularly honeybees.
The first sighting of a yellow-legged hornet in 2026 was at Doncaster in February followed by a report in Sawtry, Cambridgeshire in March.
In April, 12 sightings were recorded. Six were in Kent, two in Hampshire, two in Derbyshire, one in Nottinghamshire and one in Surrey. Four further sightings have been recorded in Kent in May, with one in Dorset.
The Asian hornets are twice the size of wasps, with mostly dark brown/black bodies as opposed to wasp stripes and build big nests high up, as opposed to wasps’ small and low nests. The hornets eat honey bees and other pollinators.
