Experts want ‘people’s army’ to fight off killer Asian hornets invading Britain

Experts have called for a “people’s army” to help fight off an impending invasion of killer Asian hornets onto mainland Britain.

The dangerous bugs’ population has had an “explosion” recently and experts warned that if the spread is not stopped, they could decimate our native honey bees.

The huge rise in Asian hornets has been recorded on the Channel Island of Jersey.

READ MORE: Asian hornets bound for mainland Britain after population booms in Jersey

In 2022, 55 queens were captured and 174 nests discovered but so far this year, a total of 438 queens were trapped, which could point to a massive rise in the number of nests.

Asian-hornet co-ordinator Alastair Christie said the numbers were “an unprecedented, astronomical increase”.

He said: “Despite catching 438, we may find that there are as many, if not more, nests than last year. We just don’t know at the moment.”

The species began to spread through Europe in 2004 but they were first spotted in the British Isles in late 2016.

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But last year the battleground shifted from the Channel Island to southern England.

Asian hornets are able to kill with one sting among people who have an allergy while they also pose a threat to the environment and native species.

The hornets are known to be very defensive of their hives and can do what is called a “mass attack” if feeling threatened.

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They can be distinguished from their native counterparts by their abdomens, which are entirely dark except for a single band of yellow – native hornets’ abdomens are predominantly yellow.

People have been urged to report any sightings of the invasive species on the free phone app called Asian Hornet Watch.

They can also report sightings by email [email protected]

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