New Forest Beekeeper on Asian Hornet Watch
Simon Noble of The Noble Bee urges residents to learn the signs as autumn brings peak hornet activity around hives
A New Forest beekeeper is asking the public to help protect local honeybees after Asian hornet nests are spotted in Hampshire.
Simon Noble, founder and head beekeeper of The Noble Bee, manages over 100 hives across the New Forest, with apiaries placed in wild landscapes and nature reserves. Autumn is the most dangerous time of year for his colonies. Asian hornets, also known as yellow-legged hornets, hunt honeybees at hive entrances just as colonies are trying to build up strength for winter.
National Bee Unit records show that this year nests have been found at Hythe, Dibden Purlieu, Millbrook, Romsey, Newtown and Hedge End in Hampshire, and at West Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
So far in 2026, 201 yellow-legged hornet sightings have been reported in the UK in 2026, and 66 nests have been found. For comparison, between 2016 and September 2022 there were only 22 confirmed sightings in Great Britain. In 2023 the National Bee Unit destroyed 72 nests across 56 locations, more than every previous year combined. In 2025 it destroyed 161 nests and recorded well over 500 credible sightings.
Simon said: "A few years ago the Asian hornet was something we read about in France. Now nests are being found a short drive from our farm. Officially it's 'not yet established' in Britain, but that gap is narrowing, and a good many of us who deal with it on the ground suspect it may already be here to stay.
"Unfortunately honeybees are the Asian hornet's favourite prey. One hornet stationed outside a hive can kill dozens of foragers in a day. The bees get too frightened to leave the hive to forage, so a strong apiary can be brought to its knees going into winter."
Simon wants residents to be his extra eyes. "Stopping this species is a numbers game, and it needs the public. If you see something that looks wrong, take a photo from a safe distance and report it."
How to spot an Asian hornet
The most reliable feature is the abdomen, which is almost entirely dark with one clean yellow-to-orange band on the fourth segment.
It is smaller than the native European hornet, not bigger.
Its legs have yellow tips.
It has an orange face.
Nests are often high in trees. Many of the nests found in September have been in sycamore trees, and they become easier to spot as the leaves fall.
What to do
Take a photo if you can do so safely.
Report it using the free Asian Hornet Watch app on Android or iPhone, through the online reporting form, or by emailing a photo to [email protected].
Don't try to catch or kill a hornet at a nest, and don't attempt to destroy a nest yourself. Report it and let Defra's National Bee Unit take the specialist action needed.
An Asian hornet sting is no worse than a sting from the native European hornet. The real danger is to people with an allergy to hornet or wasp stings, or to anyone who disturbs a nest.
A full identification guide, including a side by side comparison with the European hornet, is available on The Noble Bee's website: Asian Hornets in the UK.