Fresh warnings have been issued after an invasive Asian hornet was found in a Kent potting shed.

The sighting happened in Ash, between Canterbury and Dover, earlier this month.

The insect was discovered five miles from a nest destroyed in 2023 in the outbuilding near the city.

Following the sighting, the British Beekeeping Association has urged people to look out for and report the hornets, as queens come out of hibernation in the warmer weather.

Sue Knights, Asian Hornet Coordinator for the Kent Beekeeping Association, told KMFM: “The Asian Hornet is an invasive species.

“It has arrived across the channel from France and is causing problems concerning pollination and honey crops.

“Last year 72 nests were discovered and destroyed.

“This year we are concentrating on trying to find queens so that they can be destroyed and also hopefully not build new nests this year.

“If they do build new nests this year then our job will be to find them and eradicate them.”

The queens will have been hibernating over winter, experts say, but as the weather warms up they will become more active.

Mrs Knights continued: “When the temperature reaches between 12 and 14 degrees for at least three days, the queens will awake from hibernation.

“They will then build what we call a primary nest, very much akin to a wasp.

“It would be about the size of a tennis ball and they're normally in very sheltered places like the inside of shed roofs, porches, that sort of thing.

“Then the queen will then build the workforce and eventually when she's got enough of a workforce, they will then build what's called a secondary nest.

“These can be up to a metre in width.”

Anyone who sees one of the stinging insects is urged to report it through the Asian Hornet app.

They have a dark brown or black velvety body, with a characteristically dark abdomen and yellow-tipped legs.

Beekeepers are worried about an infestation growing, as it could affect food supplies.

Mrs Knights said: “At the moment, it is spreading across Europe at a rapid rate and is having an impact on food supplies and honey production.

“So it is really important that we stay ahead of this.

“If an Asian hornet comes across a colony of bees, and then they go home and let all the other hornets know, then that's like fast food for them.

“The Asian Hornet captures insects, it essentially wraps them up into what's called a protein parcel, takes them back to the nest and then feeds them to the young.

“The young then reward the adult hornets with a sticky substance, akin to honey.”

The Ash hornet was discovered by a member of the Ash Horticultural Society on March 8.

A bee inspector collected it on March 11 following reports through the app.