Huge ‘killer’ Asian hornets nest the size of a PUMPKIN discovered in UK
A massive Asian hornets nest the size of a giant pumpkin has been discovered in the UK for the first time.
The imposing den was spotted at the top of a 55ft conifer tree in the Cotswolds and is home to giant Asian hornets - who were sighted on British shores for the first time last month.
Luckily for everyone, experts were brought in to destroy the nest before it got bigger.
However, locals in Tetbury, Gloucestershire are not entirely relaxed as the nest is just the latest find in what they have dubbed ‘hornet horror’.
Huge: The nest was the size of a giant pumpkin (SWNS)
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Several giant Asian hornets have been caught in recent weeks around the town after a 20km incident zone was imposed by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) when the first two were discovered in September.
They are a concern due to their threat to Britain’s honey bee population.
A spokesman for the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society said: “Following the recent discovery of two Asian Hornet workers near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, bee inspectors from the National Bee Unit have visited over 100 sites in the local area.
"Asian Hornets were found at six locations within 500m of the original sighting.”
Removal: Experts destroyed the nest after photographing it at the top of a tree (SWNS)
Stephen Hirst, mayor at Tetbury Town Council, added: "We would ask for those people who think that they have seen Asian hornets from today to contact the town council so that we can communicate with the Defra task force.
"They will still be in and around Tetbury for the next two weeks to assure themselves that their work in destroying the hornet nest has been successful and Tetbury’s bee community is now safe.”
A spokesperson for the Animal & Plant Health Agency said that no live hornets have been seen since the nest was removed.
The Asian hornet arrived in France in 2004 and is common across large parts of Europe.
