Fears are growing over the spread of Asian hornets first found in Somerset.
The predators are native China but were found last week by a beekeeper in a wood in Ashcott, near Street.
They noticed the gadfly and followed it to its nest in a bramble bush in a forest clearing, which was quickly destroyed.
The beekeeper also reported the incident to the province’s Asian Hornet Action Team (AHAT).
The invasive species is known for preying on other essential insects, especially native bees.
Just one of the predatory hornets – which have bright yellow legs, a black thorax with a single orange band and an orange face – can eat up to 50 honey bees in a single day.
A queen hornet can consume 11.3 kg of insects in a season (about 90,000 insects), devastating local ecosystems.
Not only is their sting ‘incredibly painful’, but they have also caused fatalities on the continent.
Fears are growing over swarms of Asian hornets first found in Somerset and spreading across England
The predators are originally from China, but were found last week by a beekeeper in a forest in Ashcott, near Street
Beekeepers have said rising temperatures due to climate change are helping the species spread because they fly with warmer winds and are less likely to die off in harsh winters, which are becoming less common.
Somerset’s first-ever Asian hornet nest was the 53rd nest discovered in England this year, after 163 nests were found in 2025, and Lynne Ingram, head of Somerset’s AHAT, said she hoped it was the “last” in the county.
She added: “It is worrying that they have reached this province and everyone must be vigilant.
“We really need to find the nests before the mating queens emerge and go into hibernation.”
Mark White, of the East Dorset Beekeepers Association, warned last year that the Asian hornet population was growing ‘exponentially’ in the southern counties.
He said nothing can stop the growth of the hornet population as they are at the top of the food chain and each nest produces about 300 queens.
Mr White added: “They have a buffet there for them and they can pick whatever they want – the conditions are good for them.
‘In Britain the temperature is similar to where they come from in their native China, so it’s like being at home.
‘Not only are they an apex predator, but they are also very prolific in their reproduction. Once we know where they are we can try to take out their nests because any nest we take out will not reproduce.
The hornet was tagged and tracked to its nest in a bramble bush in a forest clearing, which was quickly destroyed
Somerset’s very first Asian hornet nest was the 53rd nest discovered in England this year
“Every queen or nest we don’t destroy now is potentially five or six nests next year.”
Asian hornets first arrived in France in a shipment of pottery from China about twenty years ago and quickly spread across the continent.
The predators pose a huge threat to the more than a thousand native species they feed on, including honeybees, bumblebees and butterflies.
The public is urged to remain vigilant and report any sightings via the Asian Hornet Watch app.
