Surveillance activity is underway in south Cornwall after a confirmed sighting of an Asian hornet in the Fowey area. APHA bee inspectors are working to identify any nests so they can be destroyed.
Asian hornets pose no greater threat to human health than a bee but they present a serious risk to honey bee colonies.
Nicola Spence, Defra’s deputy director for plant and bee health, said: “Following the successful containment of the Asian hornet incursion in North Devon last year and Tetbury previously, we have a well-established protocol in place to eradicate them and control any potential spread.”
Image © Defra