British beekeepers set up 'home guard' to stop invasion of deadly Asian hornets

British beekeepers have set up a "home guard" to rid the country of Asian hornets.

The invasive species is already well-established in European countries including France, and it causes havoc to local bee populations, with one adult hornet capable of munching through 50 honeybees in a single day.

Since 2016, there have been a total of 17 confirmed sightings of the Asian hornet in England and nine nests have been destroyed.

There are worries that it could end up with a strong foothold in the country, as France saw its first Asian hornet in 2004, and now has a well-established population.

Because of this, the British Beekeepers Association has set up a taskforce to identify and destroy the wasps and their nests.

Lynn Ingram, a master beekeeper, who is behind the efforts to protect Britain from hornets, told the BBC: "They are fantastically successful invaders, they really are. Honey colonies are like a supermarket for an Asian hornet, there are 50,000 bees in there, so if you're on the search for food for your young, a hive is just perfect. You just need to wait around and wait for a bee to come.

"It's really important that we're ready, we're prepared, and we can be part of a huge group of us that are keeping our eyes open for the Asian hornet, I don't want to lose my bees".

The beekeepers association is asking every association that keeps bees to select 15 members to work with a co-ordinator to help identify the hornets, and are setting up communication networks between beekeeping associations in different regions so sightings can be quickly confirmed.

They are also, where appropriate, taught to make "bait stations" to trap the hornets - these are full of honey or a sticky liquid.

It is expected that the places it is most likely to be found in numbers are in southern parts of England, as it is thought it can cross the channel from France, or imported accidentally in goods such as soil with imported pot plants, cut flowers, fruit and timber.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is trying to prevent a nationwide Asian hornet invasion, currently through eradication of individuals and nests. But if the species becomes established in the UK, it is likely there is very little that could be done about it.

The government recommends that British people who return from countries with Asian hornet populations check their baggage for any stowaways before their journey home.

There was a suspected sighting in Bristol of an Asian hornet earlier this month, but it has not been confirmed yet. As we enter the summer months, sightings will become more likely.

Nicola Spence, Defra's chief plant health officer, said: “By ensuring we are alerted to possible sightings as early as possible, we can take swift and effective action to stamp out the threat posed by Asian hornets.

“While the Asian hornet poses no greater risk to human health than a bee, we recognise the damage they can cause to honey bee colonies and other beneficial insects.

"Please continue to look out for any Asian hornets and if you think you’ve spotted one, report your sighting through the Asian hornet app or online.”