British Beekeepers Urge the Public: Know Your Hornets to Help Save Our Bees

Did you know a single yellow-legged Asian hornet (YLH) nest can consume the equivalent of 90,000 honey bees every year? That’s roughly 11kg of insects — the weight of a large sack of potatoes.

In France, where this invasive species has taken hold since 2005, up to 15 nests per square kilometre have been recorded. Scientists have linked the hornet to a 30% decline in honey bee populations nationwide.

This year’s United Nations World Bee Day on May 20th carries the theme “Bee inspired by nature to nourish us all,” and highlights the urgent need to protect the pollinators responsible for around 75% of global food crop production.

The British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) plea this World Bee Day 2025 is for public support in the face of this growing threat urging people across the UK to learn how to recognise and report sightings of the yellow-legged Asian hornet.

Diane Drinkwater, Chair of the BBKA said:

“World Bee Day is about celebrating bees but it’s also about protecting them. Yellow-legged hornets have already started to appear in the UK. If we don’t act now, the impact on all pollinators and the domino effect on food production and native biodiversity will be devastating. The good news is that everyone can be part of the solution.”

The BBKA is encouraging people to follow three simple steps to help stop the spread:

See It. Snap It. App It

● See It – Look for a black-bodied hornet with an orange face, bright

yellow ‘socks’ and a single orange band near the tail.

● Snap It – Take a clear photo, from a safe distance.

● App It – Report sightings using the Asian Hornet Watch app

(Apple/Android) or at here.

Once reported, the National Bee Unit (NBU) reviews the photo and if the ID is confirmed, trained teams are dispatched to track, locate and destroy nests before they can spread.

Given its proximity to France, Jersey is already fully engaged in a battle with the YLH and this year alone over 1000 queens have been detected, whilst activity on the UK’s south coast has been busier than ever

this spring with the sighting of 13 queens and the location of a nest.

“Part of the challenge is public awareness,” added Drinkwater. “Many people don’t know how to distinguish this predator from our harmless native insects or how important and easy it is to report a sighting immediately.”

Join the Fight to Save the Bees

The BBKA is asking for help in the fight against YLH through its Save the Bees campaign which helps fund public awareness, education and vital response work to protect UK pollinators.