The Asian hornet (Vespa Vellutina) is non-native to the UK and is ‘Reportable’, which means that by law any sighting must be reported to the appropriate authority. Please refer to our page on Asian hornets for more information.
The Non-Native Species Secretariat (NNSS), whose role it is to deal with sightings, receives a huge number of calls and fortunately most turn out to be European hornets (Vespa Crabro) or other innocent species. To help filter calls, beekeepers have formed Asian Hornet Action Teams (AHAT).
An AHAT is a group of local beekeepers who can attend any potential sighting either to reassure in the event of no Asian hornet being found, or to escalate the report to NNSS in the event of a positive sighting.
If you wish to contact an AHAT to discuss a possible sighting, please refer to the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) map to find your local AHAT.
The AHAT lead for Hampshire Beekeepers Association can be contacted by email.
If you are a member of an AHAT or are considering forming one, please refer to the Asian Hornet Action Teams (AHAT) website for excellent advice about administering the team, equipment for tracking and identifying, monitoring and reporting.
ON NO ACCOUNT SHOULD YOU APPROACH OR ATTEMPT TO REMOVE AN ASIAN HORNET NEST. This insect has a highly potent 8mm sting that is not barbed, so she can and will sting repeatedly and the pheromones released will summon her nest-mates to join the attack.