The yellow legged hornet, commonly known as the Asian hornet, is native to Asia but is known to have been present in southern France since 2004 (thought to have arrived in a shipment of pottery from China). Since 2004, Asian hornets have colonised France and began rapidly spreading into neighbouring countries. As of December 2022, the Asian hornet has established itself in Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Jersey. Sightings of Asian hornets have been recorded in the UK since 2016, but sightings of individuals and nests are on the rise.

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Asian hornets feed on insects, including both native pollinators and honey bees. Each Asian hornet can eat between 30 - 50 bees in a day. It is unknown at this time what affect they could have on our already dwindling insect populations but it could have a significant impact on our local ecosystems and agricultural pollination.