Fears of a summer invasion of deadly Asian hornets after reports of UK sightings

What is believed to have been two large hornets have been spotted in the UK, sparking fears of a summer invasion.

The latest sightings in Devon comes after it was revealed that Alastair Christie, whose job is to tackle the spread of the hornets, reportedly spotted 80 queens in Jersey.

Sightings

The witness snapped a picture of the insect at the Arlington Court National Trust property.

Speaking to Devon Live, the witness said: “I was walking around the walled vegetable gardens when something huge flew past me.”

At first, the encounter left them unsure of what the creature was.

“At first I thought it was a hummingbird, it initially looked too big to be an insect,” they said.

“Its wingspan was enormous - a horrible, ugly looking thing.”

The picture of the hornet was later confirmed to be a large European hornet by the British Beekeepers Association.

This comes a few days after delivery driver Rob King claims to have seen a hornet in his car: “I noticed on my passenger window a huge hornet on the inside climbing up.”

He continued: “I dropped the window and it went out. After looking online I'm convinced it was a giant Asian hornet.”

Urging people to be aware of the dangers the hornets carry, Mr King added: “People need to be made aware that these insects are now in North Devon and carry a potential risk of death.”

What makes these hornets dangerous?

The stinger of an Asian giant hornet is around 6mm long and has an especially powerful venom that can cause serious health issues.

A sting from the hornet can lead to anaphylactic shock as well as kidney failure.

If someone who is stung by the hornet is allergic to the venom, the risk of the sting being fatal greatly increases.