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Guidance

Yellow-legged hornet, also known as Asian hornet: laboratory confirmed UK sightings

Annual laboratory confirmed UK sightings of the yellow-legged hornet, also known as Asian hornet (Vespa velutina).

Updates to this page

From:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Published:
23 June 2020
Last updated:
5 December 2025
Show all updates

  1. Updated the page with confirmed sightings for November 2025.

  2. Updated the page with confirmed sightings for October 2025.

  3. Updated the list of confirmed sightings.

  4. Updated the page with confirmed nests found and destroyed since May 2025.

  5. Updated the page with confirmed sightings in June and July 2025.

  6. Updated the page with confirmed sightings for June 2025.

  7. Updated the page with confirmed sightings for May and June 2025.

  8. Added 4 sightings of yellow-legged hornets in May 2025. Removed a sighting of a single hornet in Hythe, Southampton on 17 April 2025, as this sighting was unconfirmed.

  9. Updated the page with further confirmed sightings for April 2025.

  10. Updated the page with confirmed sightings for April 2025.

  11. We've updated the number of yellow-legged hornet sightings with 1 new sighting in January 2025 and 1 in March 2025.

  12. One confirmed sighting from November 2024 has been added.

  13. One confirmed sighting from October 2024 has been added. Two confirmed sightings from November 2024 have also been added.

  14. One confirmed sighting from October 2024 has been added.

  15. Added 2 new confirmed Asian hornet sightings in September 2024 (Great Maxfield, East Sussex and Southampton, Hampshire)

  16. Updated confirmed sightings for September 2024.

  17. One confirmed sighting from August added. 4 confirmed sightings from September added.

  18. Added confirmed sightings for July and August in UK 2024.

  19. Added a link to report sightings of the Asian hornet, and added a link to guidance on identifying the Asian hornet.

  20. Added a confirmed sighting of the Asian hornet in June 2024 (Four Oaks, East Sussex).

  21. Updated confirmed sightings of Asian hornet in the UK in May and June 2024.

  22. Updated the number and list of sightings for May 2024.

  23. May and April sightings added.

  24. Updated confirmed sightings of Asian hornet in the UK in April 2024.

  25. Updated confirmed sightings of Asian hornet in the UK in March 2024.

  26. There has been 1 confirmed sighting of Asian hornet in the UK in 2024. Updated the number and list of sightings.

  27. Updated list with the latest sightings for November 2023.

  28. Updated the list and number of sightings, including additions to October 2023 and corrections to August and September 2023.

  29. Updated the number and list of sightings.

  30. Updated sighting numbers and details for October 2023.

  31. Corrected previous reports of September sightings: - Oxted, Surrey: 26 September – 2 nests destroyed - Yarm, North Yorkshire: 25 September – nest destroyed

  32. Updated the number and list of sightings.

  33. Updated list with the latest sightings in September.

  34. Updated with the latest sightings in September.

  35. Updated list of Asian hornet sightings for 2023.

  36. Updated list of Asian hornet sightings for 2023.

  37. Updated list of Asian hornet sightings for 2023.

  38. Current situation updated.

  39. There have been 5 confirmed sightings of Asian hornet in the UK in 2023 so far.

  40. Nest in Rayleigh, Essex destroyed on 30 September.

  41. Several hornets were captured in Rayleigh, Essex. Confirmed on 27 September 2022.

  42. A single hornet was captured in Felixstowe, Suffolk on 29 April 2022.

  43. Nest found in Portsmouth on 29 October and nest destroyed on 31 October.

  44. Nest in Ascot, Berkshire destroyed on 11 October.

  45. Added confirmed sighting of the Asian hornet in Ascot, Berkshire.

  46. Current situation updated.

  47. Minor change

  48. Added confirmed sightings of the Asian hornet 2020.

  49. First published.

This publication was withdrawn on

Check the latest yellow-legged hornet sightings on APHA’s National Bee Unit website (BeeBase).

From 2026, yellow-legged hornet nests and individual hornets are not routinely sent for laboratory analysis. This is because of:

  • an increasing number of suspected sightings
  • developed expertise in identifying yellow-legged hornets by officials in the field

Specialists can usually confirm a yellow-legged hornet sighting from a clear photograph, without the need for laboratory analysis. This allows quicker report assessments and a more efficient response to potential sightings.

Documents

Laboratory confirmed sightings of yellow-legged hornet (also known as Asian hornet) since 2016

HTML

Details

List of sightings of the yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina) in the UK which have been confirmed in a laboratory.

You can report sightings of the yellow-legged hornet using the reporting form managed by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

For help identifying yellow-legged hornets, see the Non-Native Species Secretariat’s identification guide.

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