Asian hornet sighted in Britain for first time

The first ever a confirmed sighting in Britain of an Asian hornet was reported Tuesday by the government's National Bee Unit.

It has led to a three-mile surveillance zone being established around the Tetbury area of Gloucestershire where the Asian hornet was spotted.

The National Bee Unit said the Asian hornet is smaller than Britain's native hornets, the Asian hornet poses no greater risk to human health than a bee, but does pose a risk to honey bees.

A spokesman for the a Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) said work to identify, destroy and remove any nests is already underway. As well as the special surveillance zone around Tetbury it includes opening a local control centre to coordinate the response.

Bee inspectors will also be deployed across the area,using infrared cameras and traps to locate any nests. Disposal experts will use pesticides to kill any Asian hornets and destroy any nests.

Nicola Spence, Defra Deputy Director for Plant and Bee Health, said:" We have been anticipating the arrival of the Asian hornet for some years and have a well-established protocol in place to eradicate them and control any potential spread."

A local control center will be opened Wednesday near Tetbury and bee inspectors from around England will be closely monitoring a three mile radius around the initial sighting.

The hornet found in Tetbury is currently undergoing DNA testing at the National Bee Unit in North Yorkshire to help establish how it arrived in Britain.

The hornet arrived in France in 2004 and is now common across large areas of Europe. It was discovered for the first time in Jersey and Alderney this summer. It is believed the species will not be able survive in the north of Britain due to colder winters. Endit