A trap has been set up to catch Asian hornets in North Yorkshire amid concerns breeding queens may have overwintered there.

Asian hornets are invasive non-native species which have colonised Europe and now pose a significant threat to UK native pollinators.

Last year was a record year for the number of nests found.

Two were found and destroyed in Hull, last September, followed by a third in Yarm, North Yorkshire 10 days later.

Asian hornets are smaller than native hornets, but deadly to our bees and other pollinators (Photo: Wildlife and Countryside Link/PA Wire)

Defra says they are not yet established in the UK. Trapping is a “key part of our surveillance for this invasive species and fundamental to our eradication efforts”.

Traps have also been set up in undisclosed locations in Kent, East Sussex and Devon – areas where there is an “increased risk” that the queens may have overwintered.

Last year the National Bee Unit found and destroyed 72 nests in 56 places, with the majority in Kent.

Queens, which have mated the previous autumn, build their first nests around March or April and feed the larvae as they emerge. The hornets can grab honeybees as they fly to their hive and the stress attacks cause can seriously weaken or even destroy a bee colony. The hornets have distinctive yellow-tipped legs and the queens can be 30mm in length.

Trap set up for invasive Asian hornets in North Yorkshire amid fears they may breed in the region