Halton residents are being asked to look out for an Asian hornet, described as a ‘voracious predator’ that has been spotted in the borough.

A sighting of the Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet was recently reported in Runcorn, and the Council is echoing a request from the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) National Bee Unit to ask members of the public to report any sightings via this link: So you think you’ve seen a yellow-legged hornet? » APHA – National Bee Unit – BeeBase

Key features of the highly aggressive hornets, which are about 3cm (1in), include an entirely black or brown body with distinctive yellow legs. It is smaller than the European hornet – more like the size of a wasp. They have previously been reported in the South of England.

Their nests are often found in hedges or near to the ground where the public can accidentally disturb them. Hornets become aggressive when defending their nests.

Although Asian hornets pose no greater threat to humans than native hornets, a greater threat is their impact on native insects, with the hornets feeding on more than a thousand species including honey bees, bumble bees, butterflies and beetles.

If you believe you have seen a yellow-legged hornet, please report it.  You can report your sighting by: