Kent Ornithological Society 
Asian Hornets (Vespa velutina)
© Didier Descouens
Asian hornet (Vespa velutina)
- Smaller than native hornets
- Orange head (from front)
- Abdomen almost entirely dark, with fine yellow stripes and a yellow or orange 4th segment near the base
- Black or brown thorax
- Legs with yellow tips
Our native Hornets are peaceful insects that live alongside us with many people not even noticing their presence. Worryingly the non-native Asian Hornet is starting to get a toehold in the UK and especially Kent. Asian Hornets should not be in the UK or indeed Europe but they were inadvertently imported into France around 2004 and have now reached our shores. They are a conservation problem because they predate bees, not just honeybees but wild bees too, many of which have small and vulnerable populations in Kent.
Our native Hornets are predominately yellow and orange and are slightly larger that the largely black Asian Hornets which have a single orange band at the back of their abdomen. They also have legs with yellow tips.
The Government, through DEFRA, is keen to know if Asian Hornets are found and there are a variety of ways a sighting can be reported (search Asian Hornet on the DEFRA website). Attempts will be made to locate and destroy any active nests. Under no circumstances consider approaching an active Asian Hornet nest. Report any sightings using this link:-
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asian-hornet-uk-sightings