How do I identify an Asian hornet?

Yellow lower legs are the most reliable identifier. Combined with: 25-30mm size (smaller than European hornets), mostly dark abdomen with a single yellow-orange band on the fourth segment, mostly orange-yellow head, and dark thorax. European hornets are mostly yellow; Asian hornets are mostly dark. Photograph the legs and abdomen before reporting.

How many Asian hornets have been found in the UK?

2025 saw 163 confirmed nests across the UK, with 544 credible sightings — the highest figures yet. Numbers are expected to rise in 2026 as overwintering queens emerge from 2025 nests. Cornwall, Devon and the south coast generally are the front-line areas.

Where do I report an Asian hornet sighting?

The Asian Hornet Watch app (free, iOS and Android), maintained by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) for Defra. Alternative: email alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk with photos and location, or use the online form at the BeeBase website. Don't post to social media without also reporting — public posts don't trigger response teams.

Should I pay a pest controller to destroy an Asian hornet nest?

Not without confirming APHA authorisation. Asian hornet nest destruction is part of the national containment programme run by Defra and APHA. Work should be coordinated with national surveillance. Trained response teams typically attend at no charge to the property owner. A private pest controller offering to destroy an Asian hornet nest without APHA coordination is acting outside the national programme — confirm before paying.

Are Asian hornets dangerous to people?

Stings are painful and can trigger allergic reactions, but they're not generally aggressive away from the nest. They will defend a nest vigorously if disturbed — multiple stings happen quickly. Stay 5-10m minimum from any suspected nest. People allergic to wasp or bee venom are likely also allergic to Asian hornet venom — treat with the same caution.

Is an Asian hornet the same as the "murder hornet"?

No — different species. The 'murder hornet' nickname has been applied to the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia), a much larger species native to East Asia. It has NOT been confirmed in the UK. The yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina) found in Cornwall is a smaller, different species. Identification matters; don't conflate them.

Asian Hornet Cornwall 2026: Identification, Reporting & What Pros Do

The yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina, commonly called the Asian hornet) has gone from rare incursion in the late 2010s to an established breeding population in southern England. 2025 saw 163 confirmed nests across the UK — the highest figure yet — with Cornwall and Devon on the front line. This guide is the practical 2026 Cornwall version: how to identify the species, the difference from European hornets, where to report, and what pest controllers actually do.

Why this matters now

The Asian hornet is a documented threat to honeybees and other pollinators. A single nest can predate enough honeybees to cripple a small apiary in a season. For Cornwall specifically:

2025 UK total: 163 confirmed nests, 544 credible sightings. Numbers are expected to rise in 2026 as overwintering queens emerge from nests established in 2025.
Cornwall has been an early incursion site since 2023, with confirmed activity at Fowey, Liskeard and various other points across the county
DNA evidence has confirmed that queens from previous UK incursions have successfully overwintered and bred
The Defra and APHA National Bee Unit response programme depends heavily on public sightings to identify new nests for rapid destruction

What you can do as a member of the public is identify accurately, report fast, and not attempt DIY control. The collective reporting effort across the South West is what's holding the population back from full establishment.

Identification — Asian hornet vs European hornet vs wasp

Most reports turn out to be European hornets or large wasps. Get the ID right before reporting.

Asian / yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina)

Size: 25-30mm (queen up to 30mm, workers 20-25mm) — smaller than the European hornet
Legs: distinctive yellow lower-leg sections — the most reliable single identifier. Hence "yellow-legged" hornet.
Abdomen: mostly dark / brownish-black with a single yellow-orange band on the fourth abdominal segment
Head: mostly orange-yellow at front, dark on top
Thorax: entirely dark, sometimes with a slight bronze tint
Behaviour: often hovers in front of honeybee hives, picking off returning workers

European hornet (Vespa crabro) — present in Cornwall, not invasive

Size: 25-35mm — generally larger than Asian hornet
Legs: reddish-brown — NOT yellow
Abdomen: mostly yellow with brown markings — much more yellow overall than Asian hornet
Head: mostly yellow
Thorax: reddish-brown
Behaviour: generally less aggressive than common wasps; nests in tree hollows and roof voids

Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

Size: 12-17mm — much smaller
Colours: classic bright yellow and black banding
Legs: yellow

The single most reliable Asian hornet identifier is the yellow lower legs combined with the mostly-dark abdomen with only one yellow-orange band. European hornets are mostly yellow; Asian hornets are mostly dark.

Where to look — and when

2026 Cornwall sightings are most likely:

Around honeybee hives — Asian hornets hover and predate at hive entrances
At flowering plants in late summer — particularly ivy in autumn, late-flowering lavender, dahlias
Around fallen fruit — orchards, gardens with apple and plum trees
Near outdoor food — picnics, restaurant terraces, BBQs (but they're less drawn to human food than common wasps)
Nest sites: high in trees (most common — primary nests start lower, but mature nests are often 10-20m up), occasionally in sheds and outbuildings

Peak activity:

May-June: queens emerging, primary nest construction
July-August: peak worker activity, predation pressure on bees highest
September-October: peak nest size, new queens being produced
October-November: colony breakdown, new queens dispersing to overwinter

What to do if you see one

Follow the steps in the HowTo box above. Summary:

Stay at a safe distance (5-10m minimum)
Photograph from distance using phone zoom
Note location and what the hornet was doing
Download Asian Hornet Watch app (UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, for Defra)
Submit report via the app with photos and location
Do NOT attempt control — wait for official guidance

Alternative reporting routes if you can't use the app:

Email alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk with photos and location
Online form at the BeeBase website (gov.uk/government/publications/asian-hornet-uk-sightings)

What pest controllers actually do

If you have a confirmed Asian hornet nest at your property, treatment is NOT routine wasp work. The standard response:

You report via Asian Hornet Watch app
National Bee Unit reviews and confirms species
Defra response team or APHA-licensed pest controller dispatched to locate the nest. Tracking often takes time — nests are commonly high in trees and finding them requires triangulation from observed flight paths.
Nest located
Trained operator destroys the nest — usually with a specialist long-pole insecticide injection system, often at significant height. PPE specification is higher than standard wasp work; Asian hornet stings can trigger serious allergic reactions and multiple-sting incidents are documented.
Nest material recovered (or, for very high tree nests, left in place once colony is dead)
Site monitoring for evidence of secondary nests or escaped queens

The work is funded under the national containment programme and is generally provided at no charge to the property owner. Do NOT pay a private pest controller to destroy an Asian hornet nest without confirming they are operating with APHA authorisation — the work needs to be coordinated with national surveillance.

Common Cornwall sites where 2025 sightings occurred

Without listing specific addresses, 2025 Cornwall Asian hornet activity has been confirmed in or around:

Fowey and the Polruan area
Liskeard and the southeast Cornwall corridor
The Lostwithiel-Tywardreath axis
Truro and the Fal estuary area
Various smaller incursions across mid-Cornwall

If you keep honeybees in any of these areas, increased vigilance is justified through the 2026 season.

What NOT to do

Do NOT attempt to swat, knock down or burn an Asian hornet nest yourself
Do NOT spray with domestic wasp aerosols (will not kill the colony; will provoke defensive response)
Do NOT block the nest entrance (same outcome as wasps — hornets chew through and emerge elsewhere)
Do NOT delay reporting — early identification is critical for containment
Do NOT confuse with European hornets (much commoner; not a notifiable invasive species)
Do NOT pay a private pest controller to do this work without confirming APHA authorisation

For Cornwall beekeepers specifically

The honeybee predation risk is the central concern. Beekeepers in Cornwall should:

Install hive entrance reducers or specialist Asian-hornet-deterrent entrances
Monitor hive entrances during peak Asian hornet flight times (warm afternoons July-October)
Use pheromone or sugar-water traps approved by the British Beekeepers' Association for Asian hornet surveillance
Maintain close contact with the Cornwall Bee Keepers Association and the National Bee Unit
Report any unusual hive predation immediately

If you've found a suspected nest

Use the Asian Hornet Watch app immediately. Don't approach. Don't attempt control. The national response is fast when triggered. For other wasp and hornet work that ISN'T Asian hornet (the much commoner European hornet, common wasps, paper wasps), submit a postcode on our quote form. See related: full wasp nest guide, wasp nest in loft, wasp removal service.