Invasive Asian hornet outbreak is contained, Defra says

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An Asian hornet outbreak in Somerset and Gloucestershire has been contained by the National Bee Unit, Defra said.

A Tetbury hornets' nest was destroyed and, although two dead hornets were found in North Somerset, no further sightings have been made.

Nicola Spence, from Defra, said: "We will continue to monitor the situation and encourage people to look out for any Asian hornet nests."

Asian hornets are a predator of bee colonies and other insects.

A single Asian hornet was found near Tetbury, Gloucestershire in September - the first time the species had been seen in Britain.

A nest was then found nearby at the top of a 55ft (16.8m) conifer tree.

As part of the protocol, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) set up a three-mile (5km) surveillance zone.

It said it had been anticipating the arrival of hornets for "for some years" and had a "well-established protocol in place to eradicate them".

The Asian hornet is now common across Europe after being introduced in error to France in 2004 in a shipment of pottery from China.

In the summer, the non-native species was discovered in the Channel Islands of Jersey and Alderney for the first time.

Identifying an Asian hornet

Source: National Bee Unit