“Hornets are taking the ferry”
Asian Hornet nest, found in a tree in Sundridge Park, Bromley, this summer.
The nest was subsequently destroyed by the National Bee Unit.
Photo: NBU
An update from our member Bob Jackman
We are still waiting for the Asian hornet to arrive. Well, that is the case if you are in south London, but by no means true if you are living in mid-Kent for instance.
80km a year
Asian hornets are well established in France and Belgium, and well across several other borders too. Hooray for the Channel, but these creatures have been taking the ferry. The first was noticed near the Bristol Channel quite a few years ago. But it was in 2023 that the expected finally happened, and they arrived in numbers in the Dover area.
What might have happened next was that nests got established and distribution spread. In France, when they first arrived largely unnoticed, they demonstrated that they could expand their radius of occupation by about 80 km per year. They went from the south to the channel in no time.
On your Doorstep
The National Bee Unit (NBU) has adopted a policy of eradication, unlike continental authorities. In 2023, about 75 nests were destroyed, one as close to us as Hackney, though most were along the south coast. In 2024 we were saved by a very poor spring. Nest destructions were at about a third of the previous year, which is why you haven’t seen an Asian hornet.
Asian hornets produce new queens in the late summer and early autumn. They over-winter to establish new nests the following year. A mild winter and warm spring will hugely increase those that manage to do that, which is exactly what happened this year.
The numbers tell the story. So far in 2025, the NBU has destroyed 162 nests. That figure will not rise by much now. Most were in Kent and Sussex. One was found in the Sundridge Park area, within the borough of Bromley. On your doorstep in other words!
Public Awareness Vital
The big question is, will this approach achieve eradication, or does it simply slow an inevitable process? Only time will tell. But public awareness does play a part. The NBU can only destroy nests that they are made aware of. So, keep looking in 2026. You might see a queen from February onwards, and workers are out in numbers in late summer and early autumn.
Oh, by the way, you are now looking for the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet. It hasn’t put on socks. This is a recognition that there are six other Asian hornet species waiting in the wings but this is the only one with yellow legs, and the only one currently invading Europe.
In Dover this year, half the nests removed were due to reports (mostly of individual hornets) by the general public. 95% of them turn out to be false, which is why the NBU insist on photographic evidence. But public awareness is essential to get on top of this.