At the beginning of April, the NBU began spring trapping in areas identified as high risk. Traps have been set at locations across Kent, East Sussex, Devon and North Yorkshire to monitor for signs of Asian hornet activity. On the 13th of April, a single hornet was caught in one of these traps near Four Oaks, Kent approx. 3km from the nest found in 2023. The specimen has been sent to the lab at Fera Science Ltd for official confirmation and analysis and the NBU will continue to monitor the area.  

The NBU have also received 3 further credible reports of lone Asian hornets this month. The first was a hornet on a ferry midway between Calais and Dover on 8th April. The second was a report on 11th April of a hornet in Folkestone, Kent by a homeowner. Lastly, on 13th April a hornet was sighted on a ferry between St Malo and Portsmouth, France – close to the St Malo port. The hornets reported on the 11th and 13th were both reportedly killed but the specimens were not captured for official confirmation.  

We will continue to update you of any credible sightings and any hornets captured.