Highly aggressive Asian Hornet which can pose a health risk spotted in Durham

Asian hornets are identifiable through their orange head and almost entirely dark abdomen, which displays fine yellow stripes and a yellow or orange segment near its base. Photo: PA

placeholder image — Asian hornets are identifiable through their orange head and almost entirely dark abdomen, which displays fine yellow stripes and a yellow or orange segment near its base. Photo: PA

A “highly aggressive” Asian Hornet has been spotted in the Durham area sparking the deployment of a National Bee Unit inspector to try and locate and capture the invasive insect.

Also known as the yellow legged hornet, the creature was spotted in Mordon in County Durham.

A social media post by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said: “On May 28, a yellow legged hornet was reported in Mordon a village in County Durham. The person who reported the sighting did not capture the hornet.

“A National Bee Unit regional inspector visited the site, set monitoring traps and asked the local Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Teams to monitor responsibly around the area.”

This brings the total number of Asian Hornet sightings in the UK to 24 this year (2025).

The post was reissued by the British Beekeepers Association with an accompanying statement which said: “This is a highly aggressive predator of native insects that poses a significant threat to honey bees and other pollinators.

“Originally from Asia, in 2004 this invasive species was accidently introduced to France where it has spread rapidly to neighbouring countries. Since 2016 a number of sightings have been recorded in the UK.”

The National Bee Unit have said that Asian Hornets “can be a health risk to those who have allergies to hornet or wasp stings”.

The British Beekeepers Association have also posted a photograph of an Asian Hornet and urged people to “report sightings immediately” with an accompanying photograph.