Overview

• The British Beekeepers Association says 2025 is the worst year on record, with more sightings and nests than all previous years combined.
• The Animal and Plant Health Agency has logged 64 nests so far this year, with most concentrated in Kent.
• Confirmed activity now stretches beyond traditional southern hotspots, including a single hornet reported in Runcorn this month.
• People are urged to photograph from a safe distance, record the location, and report via the Asian Hornet Watch app without disturbing nests.
• More than 1,000 trained beekeepers are supporting National Bee Unit inspectors to trace and destroy nests, as each colony can consume around 11 kg of insect prey across some 1,400 species in a season.