Islanders are being urged to report sightings of an unwelcome foreign invader to our shores – the Asian hornet. Suspected sightings of Asian hornets, a highly aggressive predator of native insects, should be reported to the Non-Native Species Secretariat (NNSS) online or via an app. It is important to take care not to approach or disturb a nest. Asian hornets are not generally aggressive towards people but an exception to this is when they perceive a threat to their nest. Smaller than native hornets, Asian hornets can be identified by their orange faces, yellow-tipped legs, velvety bodies, darker abdomens, and are active during the day, but never at night. European hornets have brown-tipped legs, long yellow antennae, and a mainly yellow abdomen with an obvious ‘waist’. Tony Gillingham, the Isle of Wight Council’s tree officer, said:
“Asian hornets are already on the mainland and as close as the New Forest. “Asian hornets are far more aggressive than our own native hornets and often nest lower, making them closer to human contact. “The presence of Asian hornets can lead to a decline in native insect populations, which can have cascading effects throughout the food chain. “Many pollinating insects are predated by Asian hornets, which can in turn have a negative impact on wildflowers and crops which rely on insect pollination, which in turn affects us all. “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. “If you think you have seen an Asian hornet, you can report this to NNSS through the Asian Hornet Watch app: https://www.brc.ac.uk/app/asian-hornet-watch or by filling in the online form.”
For more information on invasive non-native species, visit www.nonnativespecies.org. 
Quite amazing we can acknowledge a threat in creatures so readily seeing and being aware that they are likely to be more aggressive and a threat to our indigenous population.
Now we see why Orwell had to use animals to evade persecution when writing animal farm.
Few would have dreamed it would be necessary in the once Great Britain
Oops. Own goal. Orwell was a democratic socialist, and a critical social commentator who wrote Animal Farm to highlight the ridiculousness of a species (animals) who rise up against the perceived totalitarian power one other species (man) but end up with just another dictator, a subset of the same species. The phrase ‘all animals are equal’ gave rise the response of ‘some are more equal that others’ and is a very good parallel to humans today, and was thus written as a warning against infighting within a species. It was written apropos of the Russian Revolution and the rise of Nazi Germany, and at the time there were no laws specific to discrimination so nowt to evade there (1965 Race Relations Act).
Opps a daisy. No ‘own goal’ written about the dangers of unchecked authority in a style that would otherwise not have been available to the masses.
Freedom of speech was then only something which effected other countries, and here you could say what you wanted, and, IF it were silly, or wrong, then the masses would ignore you, or ridicule such, thus proving that what is now banned from being spoken, IS because it is often the truth, otherwise it would be just a ‘fool’ saying such and would again, be ignored by the masses.
The own goal was that you used Animal Farm to swerve into evading persecution from free speech, free expression laws. There is no ‘right’ to free speech; in general, everything is a right and can be done PROVIDING there is no specific law against it. Those laws have been enshrined with a view to stop rampant unjust persecution. I agree it was not generally acceptable to say, imply, nudge others to say/do hateful things to others but, as we know hatred breeds hatred we now need laws. Those who break those laws as just as much criminals as the shoplifter, dope smuggler and violent offender, and it is sad it has to be pointed put so very often. Maybe bigger fines and targeted policing will help.
Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz
Bloody foreign hornets. Coming over here. Taking all our….erm……pollen……erm……or something.
QK, Of course they take nothing. They all bring a patch of land and air space with them. They bring all their own pollen too. Never sting or harm the hosts of their chosen land. No threat to the local more peaceable creatures……erm…..the article said so………erm……didn’t it?
Educate! Killing hives if honey bees in 48 hours or less!! A beekeeper!
Quite so..they probably came over on illegal boats ! We had best put them all in gabion cages..before they start claiming assilum and state benefits.. blah blah..etc etc as our prisons are full of incompetent judges..blah blah..
Just out of interest, if you report seeing one, what happens?
What does the ‘swift and effective action’ actually consist of?
Someone running around the countryside with a fly swat?
Well it won’t consist of an expensive hotel room until an amnesty is bestowed upon all when a weak Labour gain the keys and individual sanctuary areas are provided for these future harmful , ever increasing pests.
Still if we are nice to them and allow them to do just as they please perhaps they won’t harm us.
They may emulate the indigenous and turn more placid. Or the indigenous may be forced to mate with them or have to compete and turn more aggressive.
I wonder which it will be.
Destroyed with a round of approval and applause from Bee keepers!… Next!?
This swift and effective action involves locating their nests and destroying them.
I saw one working my local Chinese
The difference (cos you’re all so triggered by the word ‘Asian’) between insects and people is that a) insects are not governed by our foreign policy laws and don’t have work visas and b) they have been known to decimate ENTIRE species. Even by most of your (low) standards it’s not much of a comparison, is it?
So, they have been working illegally?
Lol. Yeah, AND they have a funny yellow stripe and buzz in a foreign language.
America has got this problem
The Asian giant hornet is a voracious predator and a large group of them can destroy an entire colony of native honey bees in just 90 minutes.
Just one hornet can kill 40 bees per minute.
If the spread is not contained, there are serious fears that the invaders will decimate America’s pollinators and prove potentially lethal to people.
So the UK could have the same issues
The Asian giant hornet, the largest of its kind, is an invasive species that is more common in Thailand, China and Japan where it kills about 50 people per year
A preying mantis will likely kill one of these and make a meal of it