Over the weekend the first confirmed sighting of the Asian Hornet in Ireland was recorded in Dublin where a dying hornet was found. This has sent a frisson of fear and worry through beekeeping circles, naturally enough, given the hornets’ ability to destroy colonies of honeybees.

A combination of size, aggression, large numbers, speed of travel and adaptability make the Asian hornet quite the predator. That said, there are many questions to be asked regarding the find - was it a queen? How did it get there? Where was it found? And so on. The arrival of the Asian hornet from UK/France/further afield is inevitable - how we deal with its arrival will be very important to beekeepers across the country.

Here is how to identify it: