Experts are sounding the alarm after discovering the Asian hornet now has a stronghold in Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands between England and France.
Since the start of the year, nearly 500 Asian hornet nests have been found on the island - around four times higher than the year before.
Each nest can contain up to 10,000 hornets, meaning almost 5 million Asian hornets are potentially in Jersey right now.
The data is stoking fears that Jersey will act as a stepping stone for the invasive species reaching the UK from mainland Europe in large numbers.
The Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) can be accidentally imported arriving on shipped goods such as potted plants, cut flowers, timber, soil or fruit. Some have even been known to fly to the UK from France during warmer months.
John De Carteret, founding member of the Jersey Asian Hornet Group, said authorities are struggling to keep up with the number of reports from residents.
Some have received a painful sting from the black and yellow striped insect, which can be fatal for people with certain allergies.
'The unrelentingly high number of Asian hornet reports from across the island continues to put tremendous pressure on the Jersey government's Asian hornet reporting system,' Mr De Carteret said.
Britons have been urged to be on the lookout for invasive Asian hornets (pictured) as 25 sightings have already been reported this year
This map of Jersey marks all Asian Hornet nests on the island. Key: Yellow E = embryo nest including a queen; White E = embryo nest with no queen; PN = primary nest; SN = secondary nest
'The number of people being stung continues to rise.'
According to the expert, there's now a 'backlog' of Asian hornet nests awaiting treatment in Jersey, with 469 recorded this year so far, up from 130 in 2024.
'Combined efforts of the two government invasive species officers, along with professional pest controllers and volunteers, are trying to keep up with the sheer logistics of nest treatments,' Mr De Carteret said.
Unfortunately, due to the sheer number of sightings, reports from Jersey residents on the government webpage are not always getting a thorough follow-up.
'It's no less important [to report sightings], but there just isn't anyone free to act on it,' Mr De Carteret said.
'It's very simple, more support is needed, and more people to get actively involved.'
The Asian hornet, also known as the yellow-legged hornet, is native to southeast Asia and considered an invasive species across most of Europe.
The species was first seen in the UK in 2016, but has started to spread far more aggressively in recent years.
Pictured, Asian hornet nest posted to the Jersey Asian Hornet Group on Facebook. Asian hornet nests are usually around half a meter long and egg shaped
The Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) can be accidentally imported arriving on shipped goods such as potted plants, cut flowers, timber, soil or fruit - stoking fears a fresh swarm will hit Britain
Asian hornets were first introduced to the UK in 2016 but began to spread far more aggressively in recent years. But experts say the UK has so far successfully fought off invasion by the Asian hornet - thanks to vigilant members of the public
Asian hornet nests are made out of wood fibres and saliva. Unfortunately, all wasp and hornet nests look similar, so the best way to identify a nest is to see the bug living in it. This is tricky because experts advise keeping a close distance. Pictured, an Asian Hornet nest near Canterbury in May 2024
The Asian hornet
The Asian hornet, scientific name Vespa velutina, is an invasive non-native species from Asia.
It is thought to have first arrived in France in 2004, and has since been spreading rapidly, with the first UK sighting in 2016.
It is a highly effective predator of insects, including honey bees and other beneficial species.
Queens grow up to 3cm in length, and workers up to 2.5cm.
It can cause significant losses to colonies, other native species and potentially ecosystems.
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Its activity has so far been largely in the South East of England, with Kent being the most affected due to its proximity to France.
However, they have also appeared in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and London, with isolated confirmed sightings across parts of South-West England and as far north as Yorkshire and Northumberland.
The Asian hornet is such a concern because it has a devastating impact on our native insect populations.
Asian hornets have a big appetite for Britain's wasps and honey bees, which are vitally important because they pollinate crops and wildflowers.
Earlier this year, a University of Exeter study found about 1,400 different species in the guts of Asian hornets.
The list included bees, wasps, flies, beetles, butterflies, moths and spiders, although by far honey bees were their favourite prey.
To make matters trickier, Asian hornet is often mistaken for the native and ecologically important European hornet, which is not aggressive and doesn't typically pose a threat to healthy honey bee colonies.
'One of the easiest ways to identify them is by looking at their legs,' said Professor Helen Roy, an ecologist at UKCEH and the University of Exeter.
An immediately identifiable feature of the Asian Hornet is its bright yellow leg tips compared to the European's brown legs. Note also the distinctive thick black stripes on its body
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'Yellow-legged hornets [Asian hornets] have yellow and brown on their legs, whereas European hornets' legs are only brown.'
Asian hornets are also smaller and more slender than their European counterparts and have vibrant orange shading on their heads.
If you do see an insect you believe to be an Asian hornet, you are urged to report it via the Asian Hornet Watch app or online via UKCEH's online reporting form.
All sightings reported on the app are double-checked by UKCEH, but ensuring you only report genuine sightings helps resources be used more effectively.
Professor Roy added: 'The vast amount of data we receive from citizen scientists is helping to develop the alert system and our experiences are proving useful for sharing with others in developing similar systems around the world.'
Why are Asian hornets such a concern?
The hornets, which grow up to an inch long (3 cm) and have an orange face, are an aggressive predator of honey bees and other pollinating insects.
The hornets prey on honeybees, hovering like attack helicopters outside their hives and grabbing them on the wing.
The bees are dismembered before being carried back to the hornets' nest to be fed to larvae.
The charity Plantlife has warned that the hornet 'poses a deadly threat to honeybees and other pollinators and any potential sightings should be immediately reported to the GB Non-native Species Secretariat.'
Queens build nests in April. They rapidly start laying eggs until the hive population reaches about 6,000 insects.
A report by the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, estimates that the decline of bees worldwide poses a potentially major risk to world food supplies.
Britain's bees are thought to have fallen by a third since 2007. The British Beekeepers' Association warns the public not to disturb a hornets' nest 'under any circumstances'.