Wasps
Hornet, Asian hornet or wasp? How to tell them apart
The European hornet is the UK's largest social wasp, up to 3.5 cm long and brown and yellow rather than black and yellow (Wildlife Trusts); the Asian hornet, now also called the yellow-legged hornet, has a very dark body, one wide orange stripe on its abdomen and yellow leg ends (GOV.UK). If you think you have seen an Asian hornet, report it with a photo via the Asian Hornet Watch app or the online form (GOV.UK). A European hornet you can simply leave alone.
In this article
Key facts
- European hornet: large, brown thorax, brown and yellow stripes, seen from May to November, nests in hollow trees or cavities in buildings (Wildlife Trusts).
- Asian or yellow-legged hornet: very dark body, a wide orange stripe on the fourth segment of the abdomen, yellow leg ends, smaller than our native hornet (GOV.UK).
- The Asian hornet poses no greater risk to people than our native wasps and hornets (GOV.UK), and the European hornet is much less aggressive than the common wasp (Wildlife Trusts).
- The wasps at your table are the common wasp and the German wasp. For those you start in spring.
How do you tell a hornet, an Asian hornet and a wasp apart?
Look at the size, the colour of the body and the legs: the European hornet is big and brown and yellow, the Asian hornet is almost black with yellow leg ends, and a common wasp is smaller and bright yellow and black. This is how you tell them apart:
| Insect | Size | Colour and legs | Nest |
|---|---|---|---|
| European hornet (Vespa crabro) | Up to 3.5 cm, the largest social wasp in the UK (Wildlife Trusts) | Brown thorax, brown and yellow stripes, brown tipped legs, long yellow antennae, mainly yellow abdomen (Wildlife Trusts, GOV.UK) | Often in hollow trees or cavities in buildings (Wildlife Trusts) |
| Asian or yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina) | Smaller than the European hornet (GOV.UK) | Very dark body, a wide orange stripe on the fourth segment of the abdomen, yellow leg ends (GOV.UK) | Starts with a small nest in spring that grows quickly over the summer (APHA) |
| Common wasp and German wasp | Up to 2 cm (Wildlife Trusts) | Yellow and black stripes with a clear waist; the common wasp has a black anchor mark on its face (Wildlife Trusts) | In roof spaces, wall cavities, sheds or underground (BWARS, BPCA) |
| Honeybee | Smaller than a hornet | Browner and hairy; stings only once, because its barbed sting stays in the skin (NHM) | In a hive or a cavity |
Not sure? The Asian Hornet Watch app shows pictures of the insects it is most often confused with, and a photo is the best way to have it checked (GOV.UK).
What is the difference between a hornet and a wasp?
A hornet is a large wasp: the European hornet is the UK's largest social wasp and is brown and yellow, where a common wasp is bright yellow and black (Wildlife Trusts). Hornets feed on nectar and sap themselves and catch a variety of insects, mainly to feed their larvae (Wildlife Trusts). The wasps that come to your table for squash and cake are the common wasp and the German wasp (BPCA).
Is a hornet more dangerous than a wasp?
No, not if you leave it alone: the European hornet is much less aggressive than the common wasp and unlikely to sting if left alone (Wildlife Trusts), and the Asian hornet poses no greater risk to human health than our native wasps and hornets, although it may defend its nest if it feels threatened (GOV.UK). Call 999 straight away if, after any sting, the lips, mouth, throat or tongue swell or someone struggles to breathe (NHS).
Should you report an Asian hornet you see?
Yes: report any suspected Asian hornet straight away, with a photo if you can take one safely, via the free Asian Hornet Watch app, the online report form on iRecord or by email to alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk (GOV.UK, APHA). A report without a photo needs enough detail to be credible, such as a good description and what the hornet was doing. Credible reports with a photo go to the National Bee Unit, which follows up every credible sighting (GOV.UK). Do not go near a nest or disturb it; read what to do about a hornet nest.
Where in the UK has the Asian hornet been found?
Mostly in the south east: the species reached France in 2004 and was first found in the UK in 2016; in 2023, 72 nests were found and destroyed, most of them in Kent, and in 2024 another 24 nests were found between July and October (GOV.UK, APHA). That is why every sighting counts, wherever you live.
Why is the Asian hornet a problem?
Because it hunts honeybees and other pollinators: honeybees make up around 40 % of its diet, and one nest can eat over 11 kilograms of insects in a season, according to a French study cited by APHA. Its main threat is to bees, not to people (GOV.UK).
Should you leave a European hornet alone?
Yes: the European hornet is a common native species that is unlikely to sting if left alone (Wildlife Trusts). There is no need to kill it; like other social wasps, its colony dies out before winter and only the new queens survive (NHM). If a nest really is in the way, have a pest controller look at it first. More in what to do about a hornet nest.
What other wasps do you see in the UK?
Mostly ones you never notice: the UK has over 7,000 species of wasp, most of them solitary, such as spider wasps, and many of them parasitoids whose young feed on other insects (NHM). Only a few live in colonies, and of those you mainly meet the common wasp and the German wasp (BPCA). If you see a large, very dark wasp, compare it with the Asian hornet in the table above.
What should you do if it is a common wasp?
With common wasps you start in spring: hang a fake wasp nest by the patio, veranda or shed, and keep food and drink covered in summer. The idea behind a fake wasp nest: a queen looking for a nest site as the weather warms up in spring (BPCA) prefers not to start next to an existing colony. The Super Ninja Waspinator is such an imitation wasp nest, 2 in a pack, without lure or insecticide: it does not lure or kill wasps. It is meant for common wasps, not for hornets or the Asian hornet, and it does not help against a nest that is already there. The approach season by season is in our guide how to get rid of wasps.
Sources: The Wildlife Trusts, Hornet and Common wasp; GOV.UK, Chief Plant Health Officer urges increased Asian hornet vigilance (20 May 2024) and New app to report Asian hornet sightings; APHA Science blog, Yellow-legged hornet monitoring and eradication in the UK (15 May 2025); Natural History Museum (NHM), What do wasps do?; BWARS, Vespula vulgaris; British Pest Control Association (BPCA), Worried about wasps?; NHS, Insect bites and stings.
