A huge hornet has been spotted by a Rye News reader in her garden at Landgate. Joan Jones writes: “Interesting find in the garden today a very strange creature. It turns out to be a European Hornet (Vespa crabro). Beautiful markings. Thrilled to bits.”
However beautiful, experts fear that this insect spells potential disaster for the already dwindling UK population of honey-bees, upon which it feeds.
There are fears too that its advent may herald the invasion of the far more aggressive Asian hornet which has now reportedly reached France and been responsible there for several deaths and which could follow the same route to the UK.
Photo: Joan Jones
European hornets have been with us for a long time and they rarely threaten bees.
The smaller Asian hornet can decimate hives and beekeepers are on the look out for this species which has been seen in Gloucestershire, proving that they have crossed the Channel. Any sightings of this species should be reported to Defra.