1st October 2018  

A second Asian Hornet nest has been destroyed in Hampshire. This one was near Brockenhurst in the south of the county. 

This brings the total number of nests destroyed in England over two years to 6. 

National Bee Unit (NBU) inspectors are still investigating reports of Asian Hornets in the Southampton area and in the Guildford area. 

It's very important that members of the public and beekeepers keep alert for any unusual visitors to their gardens. The weather is still warm enough for bees to fly and so that means that wasps and hornets can also keep flying to gather food. 

The first nest in New Alresford in Hampshire was discovered when a member of the public told a beekeeper that there were some 'very funny looking wasps' on the rotting fruit in the orchard. They turned out to be Asian Hornets so clearly rotting fruit will attract them as will prey like wasps and bees who are gathering nectar from ivy at the moment. 

The NBU and Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) are keen to stop this insect establishing in the UK and you should report any suspected sightings to [email protected]. Or via the Asian Hornet Watch app on your smartphone. 

When a sighting is confirmed, experts from those two agencies will work quickly to find and destroy any active nests in the area. 

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