Kent has had more sightings of a pest that kills honey bees than anywhere else in the UK, new figures show.

The Asian hornet was first seen in the country in the spring after an absence of four years.

But new figures show that in 2023 there have been 78 confirmed sightings, the majority of which have been in Kent, which has seen 54 nests destroyed this year.

Roy Taylor, who runs Fawkham Bee Company, said the influx of the hornets is only going to get worse leading severe problems for the industry.

They can also be fatal for humans.

“People will die if they are allergic to bee stings,” he explained.

Roy, who has been in the beekeeping business for 14 years, explained how the Asian hornets are making their nests lower down because of the wind, meaning they are easier to disturb if you brush past them.

“They will chase you for 200 metres,” he said. “They will not let you escape.”

He said beekeepers are going to have to work harder than ever to keep their hives free of pests and expects many hobbyists will just give up.

“It’s going to mean checking your hives every day and moving them frequently to avoid the hornets,” Roy said.

“We’ve got them now,” he said. “There’s no getting away from them.”

The 57-year-old explained that one nest of Asian hornets, which are slightly smaller than a European hornet and can be identified by their yellow legs and orange face, can eat up to 11.3kg (a bin liner full) of bees and insects.

He said they have taken over France in the last 12 years and fears they will do the same here.

“We are not on top of it but we are going to have to learn to live with it,” he told KentOnline.

“It’s a new way of life for everyone. We are never going to be able to contain it here.”

Asian hornets have already been blamed for the deaths of six people in France when they arrived in Kent in the spring.

The hornets are believed to have entered France in a shipment of Chinese pottery in 2004.

They have previously been blamed for the deaths of 28 people in China, including a mother and baby caught up in a swarm.

Experts believed the insects, whose stings can be fatal, are likely to have entered Britain by flying across the Channel.

The hornets can administer a toxic sting which can cause death through kidney failure.

The hornets prey on bees and wasps, sparking fears that they may harm honey and crop production.

Roy confirmed: “One important point is the future loss of pollinators which are already under pressure from climate change, pollution, and pesticides.”

The Asian hornets were first spotted in Kent in April in Folkestone after an absence of four years.

The British Bee Keeping Association (BBKA) confirmed it was the second reported sighting in the UK, with the first being in Northumberland.

Folkestone was the worst hit in Kent with 19 nests destroyed in five months.

The worst month for sightings was August with 32 nests destroyed across the county.