Asian hornets have been detected for the first time in London – record numbers of this invasive species are currently being recorded in the UK.

A hobby beekeeper in Thamesmead, south-east London, discovered one of the predatory insects in his garden on Saturday and alerted specialists, who found a nest nearby on Monday.

This comes amid a dramatic increase in Asian hornets, with this year seeing half of all the sightings in the last seven years. Almost 35 percent of the sightings confirmed in the UK so far have occurred in this month alone.

London residents are urged to educate themselves on how to identify this destructive species that attacks honey bees.

Joel Soo, 43, was harvesting honey from beehives in his garden in Thamesmead on Saturday evening when he spotted a single Asian hornet.

“I saw a huge creature flying around and the thought occurred to me: ‘It’s just a big wasp or a hornet,'” he told the Standard.

“When I saw the telltale signs of an Asian hornet, I quickly ran to my kitchen to grab any container I could get my hands on. I said to myself, ‘I have to catch this guy because if he’s only been sighted, it’s just talk.'”

Mr Soo, an architect who has been a beekeeper since 2019, caught the insect, photographed it and informed the National Bee Unit (NBU) of the Animal and Plant Health Authority.

“When I first saw this, I was a bit of a shock,” he said. “The next morning, I went back to my hives and thought, OK, this is probably just an isolated case, and then I saw two or three more flying around the hives.”

He set up bait stations to attract the hornets with a mixture of sugar water, jam and yeast and alerted the authorities.

On Monday morning, the NBU visited the building and found an Asian hornet nest in a tree on a green area near Mr Soo’s home. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed it will be destroyed this week.

The first Asian hornets arrived in Europe in 2004. It is assumed that they arrived in France with a shipment of goods from East Asia.

Since then, they have spread rapidly throughout France and its neighboring countries.

There have been 46 confirmed sightings in the UK since 2016, 23 of which have been reported this year, including 16 this month.

The vast majority of sightings have occurred in Kent, with some recorded in other counties. A total of 29 nests have been destroyed in the UK so far.

Asian hornets (Vespa velutina) are “highly aggressive predators” of native insects and pose a particular threat to honey bees.

According to the British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA), a hornet can hunt and eat 30 to 50 honey bees a day.

BBKA chair Diane Drinkwater said: “Asian hornets are wreaking havoc in Europe and we fear that if they establish themselves in the UK, our honey bees and many other insects will be decimated here too. They are the biggest threat to beekeeping since the discovery of the Varroa mite over 30 years ago.”

Dr Gavin Broad, senior curator of insects at the Natural History Museum, told the Standard that the increased temperatures were likely to make Britain more hospitable to insects.

“Unlike much of mainland Europe, we have a chance of preventing the species from becoming established,” he said. “However, as populations increase in neighbouring countries, the likelihood of Asian hornet queens coming to the UK and building nests increases.”

“Last year’s hot summer and this year’s mild late spring weather seemed to suit the hornets.

“Although Asian hornets are one of several threats to honey bee colonies, they pose little risk to other wildlife. Although they eat some other insects, they mainly eat honey bees, which are usually kept in breeding farms.”

He said raising public awareness about the hornets is key to preventing them from gaining a foothold.

Asian hornets are slightly smaller than native hornets. They have a dark abdomen with a distinctive orange stripe. Unlike native hornets, whose legs are dark colored, the legs of the invasive species are bright yellow.

Richard Mcintosh, deputy head of plant health at Defra, said: “Although the Asian hornet poses no greater threat to human health than other wasps or hornets, it can cause damage to bee colonies and other beneficial insects.

“We are asking people to be on the lookout for Asian hornets. If you think you have seen one, report your sighting using the Asian Hornet app or online. Asian hornet nests are smaller this time of year, but we are still asking people to be vigilant.”

If you suspect you have seen an Asian Hornet, you should report it via the Asian Hornet Watch app or via this Online registration formAlternatively, email [email protected].

For more information on identifying an Asian hornet, see: Here.