A SOUTH Essex beekeeper has raised "concerns" around the Asian hornet warning.

Asian hornets have been spotted in Rayleigh, sparking an urgent warning to south Essex residents to remain vigilant over the threat to bees.

It is the first confirmed sighting of an Asian hornet in the UK since April, and there have only been 22 sightings since 2016. 

The hornets have been branded “killer hornets” and beekeepers have been issued a warning due to the threat the large wasps pose to bees. 

The National Bee Unit has confirmed the sighting, and monitoring is under way to detect more Asian hornets in the vicinity, the government says.

Pat Holden, a south Essex beekeeper for more than ten years, said it is concerning.

She said: “They predate on pollinators, so they will attack anything that flies, and are very good at getting rid of good insects.

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“The main thing we are worried about is the bees because what will happen, they will hawk in front of bee nests and colonies, and they will pick the bees off as they come back laden with food to their hives and after a while, if there is enough of them, they will scare the bee so the bees just then won’t come out.

“We hope it won’t get to that, as that is really concerning to think about. I believe when something like this happens there is or will be a team, who are very good, come down and try to find and catch the Asian hornets as well as establish whether there is a nest or not.

“But for the public, the main thing is not to try and catch them yourself as they have a nasty sting. They are unlikely to attack you but don’t take that risk, just leave it, and if the hornet is stationary, take a photo and report it as a potential sighting.”

The Asian hornet is smaller than the native hornet and poses no greater risk to human health than our native wasps and hornets. However, they do pose a serious risk to honeybees.

Nicola Spence, from the Department for Environment, said: “By ensuring we are alerted to possible sightings as early as possible, we can take swift and effective action to stamp out the threat posed by Asian hornets.”

“That’s why we are working at speed to locate and investigate any nests in the area following this confirmed sighting.

“Please continue to look out for any Asian hornets and if you think you’ve spotted one, report your sighting through the Asian hornet app or online.”