Recently and with summer well on the way if not already here there has been a lot of talk about giant winged hornets set to invade the UK. As always, the newspapers have jumped on a story and fanned the flames. But what are the facts are should we be worried for ourselves, our kids and even our pets?

What is a Hornet?

Hornets are essentially large wasps. They are from a group called the social wasps as opposed to the solitary wasps of which we have many in the UK…in fact we have around 9000. Yes that’s 9000 species of solitary wasp in the UK most of which no one will have ever even noticed. The species of hornet we have in the UK is the European Hornet and it is not something to worry about. Generally, they are docile unless you disturb a nest. Yes, the sting is painful but that’s because it’s a big insect, they are more likely to bite than sting and if you ask around you will be hard pushed to find someone who has ever been stung by one.

For parents they are big so understandably a worry and if allergies are involved then even more so. You might be tempted to book a pest control expert here https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/pest-control/ for peace of mind. However, its worth noting wasps are far more likely to be a problem. Hornets are actually beautiful insects and if you do get a chance to see one up close, don’t panic! They make quite a racket when flying and you may even notice one zooming over head if you live in the south. They are making their way further north each year, probably due to climate change.

What is an Asian Hornet?

Well here is where the confusion lies. The Asian Hornet is actually smaller than our own Hornet. It is much darker in colour and no more of a threat to us than a bee or a wasp. Where the problem lies is that they are very bad for our already threatened bee populations. They do have a nasty habit of killing and eating bees in the nests. The Asian Hornet has been making it’s way across Europe and has been seen a number of times in France. We have had sightings in the UK in 2019 in Dorset and other places. Each time the nest was found and destroyed. If you do see one it is important you report it and seek more information on how to do so.

Giant Asian Hornet

This is a large insect! Up to 2 inches long the Giant Asian Hornet is not to be messed with! They got the nick name the Murder Hornet. Although not because they kill people (we will get to that) but because they decimate bee colonies. But not in Europe or the UK!! These giants are not on their way to the UK, they are not about to swarm across our gardens and murder everyone (not least because by definition the word murder means one person killing another person and not a Hornet doing it). There are some issues in the US where these insects have been seen dead and in single numbers but Europe is not a concern. The papers immediately took the issue of the Asian Hornet and started scaring everyone about Giant Asian Hornets and that was incorrect as shown here https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1278490/asian-giant-hornet-murder-hornets-in-us-uk-threat-humans.

In terms of the danger, yes, in an event where multiple Giant Asian Hornets stung a person they could die. But having said that 30-40 wasp stings could potentially kill someone so its best to keep things in perspective. Mark Stanford of Empire Pest Control sums it up very well

“Giant Asian Hornets have not been found in the UK or Europe and are not something we should worry about. Asian Hornets are certainly bad for bees but are smaller than the European Hornet and not a danger to us at all, they have been spotted in the UK but in tiny numbers that were eradicated”

Do Not Worry

So, next time you hear someone talking about giant hornets on their way over. Or claiming they have seen an Asian Hornet you can confidently tell them they are incorrect and they may have just seen our lovely European Hornet which isn’t anything to worry about at all and something to be enjoyed and respected.