15/03/2024
Hello Kent Profile, I'm the outreach officer for the British Beekeepers' Association, tasked with raising awareness of the Asian hornet threat to honeybee colonies and public safety. I'm not sure if you're aware, but the first Asian hornet sighting of 2024 has now been confirmed as having taken place a few days ago, at Ash near Canterbury. The BBKA is spearheading a campaign of national awareness to inform as many people as possible about the impact of increased Asian hornet numbers this year, and how people can identify and report sightings. Given the huge number of nests that were discovered in Kent last year, we were wondering if you could please share the news of this new sighting on your platforms and urge the public to keep an eye out and report sightings via the official Asian Hornet Watch app. It is really important that the public know how to spot Asian hornets and keep themselves safe, given the aggressive nature with which they can defend their nests. For further information, I can be reached at [email protected], and have a number of images and resources that can be emailed over to assist with any coverage you may be able to give this. Many thanks, Kirsteen Thorne
