Overview
- A dead nest near Wrexham this month marked Wales’s first confirmed Asian (yellow‑legged) hornet discovery, prompting fresh warnings from the Welsh Government.
- Authorities destroyed 161 nests across the UK in 2025, the highest on record, following 544 credible reports to Defra.
- Laboratories have verified 176 sightings to date, exceeding the previous record set in 2023 when 57 were confirmed and 73 nests were destroyed.
- Defra, the National Bee Unit and partners urge use of the Asian Hornet Watch app, spring monitoring traps, and immediate reporting of suspected sightings.
- Public guidance advises staying at least five metres from nests, keeping dogs on leads, and never shooting at nests, with beekeepers warning the predators can devastate bee colonies.