Britons are being warned about an Asian hornet invasion, which has now been detected in London for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sightings in the UK have fueled fears that they will spread this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Saturday evening, beekeeper Joel Soo discovered the lethal insect in his Thamesmead house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 43-year-old was picking honey when he noticed an Asian hornet and managed to capture it in a jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It comes after ten persons in Jersey’s crown dependency were stung by “killer” hornets but all survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, at least five individuals have died in France as a result of stings, with more victims in other European nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The venom of hornets can cause anaphylactic shock, which can end in death within minutes of being attacked if not treated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to figures from Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), there have been 46 sightings of Asian hornets since 2016 – with half of those coming this year alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It was a bit of a shock when I first saw it,” Soo told the Evening Standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The next morning I went out to my beehives again thinking okay, it’s probably just a one-off, and that’s when I saw another two or three more flying around the hives.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The beekeeper, of four years, alerted the Animal and Plant Health Agency and a team discovered a nest in a tree near his home on Monday.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Britons are being warned about an Asian hornet invasion, which has now been detected in London for the first time. Sightings in the UK have fueled fears that they will … <\/p>\n