Regional Bee Inspector Dhonn Atkinson has confirmed a credible sighting of a Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet (Vespa velutina) in the Nether Edge area of South Yorkshire. The report was submitted via the Asian Hornet Watch app, and the National Bee Unit (NBU) is awaiting further details from the reporter to verify and investigate.

In the meantime, beekeepers are urged to remain alert and vigilant.

Dhonn’s advice:

• If you have traps, set them now with bait.

• Do not kill any hornets that are trapped – they must be kept alive for positive identification and to enable inspectors to trace any nearby nests.

• Do not place traps in apiaries. Instead, position them where you can check them regularly, such as gardens, allotments, or near flowering plants.

• If you are using a Gard’Apis trap, it is worth fitting the red queen nozzle, as queens may now be searching for hibernation sites.

• Do not use kill traps. If you do not have a catch trap, use a monitoring station instead.

Anecdotal evidence from both Ivor Flatman and Richard suggests that home-made baits are currently proving more attractive to wasps than Trappit, and there is a reasonable assumption that this may also apply to Yellow-Legged Asian Hornets at this time of year.

For more information, including identification guidance and monitoring advice, visit the Monitoring page of our website:
https://ybka.org.uk/monitors

We also encourage everyone – beekeepers and the general public alike – to help raise awareness and report any suspected sightings through the Asian Hornet Watch app. Public involvement is essential to early detection and control.

You can find resources to share and learn more about how to help here:
https://ybka.org.uk/help

Thank you for your continued vigilance and support in protecting our bees and the wider environment.