Overview

• Credible sightings climbed to 73 by the end of July, a 160% increase from last year’s 28 reports.
• Authorities have found and destroyed 28 nests so far in 2025, with each nest capable of housing up to 3,000 hornets.
• Ecologists warn that unchecked hornet populations could devastate native pollinators and threaten food production.
• Defra relies on a single on-call staff member at any given time to locate and destroy nests, prompting calls for more resources.
• Lawmakers and beekeeping groups are urging the creation of a fully resourced task force to prevent the species from becoming established.