Watch out for early Asian hornet queens
- Residents are alerted to the early emergence of Asian hornet queens.
- A nest was discovered in St Saviour’s on 2 January.
- Queens may now be hibernating and will emerge to search for food.
- The Spring Queening campaign will commence in April with over 230 volunteers.
- Sightings should be reported to local authorities.
Authorities in Guernsey are encouraging the public to be vigilant in spotting Asian hornet queens earlier than usual this year.
This follows the discovery of an Asian hornet nest located in a tree near St Saviour’s Reservoir on 2 January.
The nest indicates that several new queens may have been successfully raised and are likely hibernating on the island.
As temperatures begin to rise, these queens may emerge, seeking food sources and locations suitable for building new nests.
People are urged to look out for queen hornets that might be found visiting flowering camelias in gardens or constructing nests in bird boxes or other outbuildings.
The annual Spring Queening campaign is set to launch at the start of April. This initiative involves the participation of over 230 volunteers across the island and is part of a broader strategy to prevent the establishment of Asian hornets, which pose risks to public health and environmental stability.
"The first recorded sighting of an Asian hornet in Guernsey was in March 2017. Since then, 157 queens have been captured and 62 nests destroyed," stated a representative.
A significant nest can house up to 2,000 hornets, leading to potential dangers for the local community and serious harm to native insect populations and honeybees.
The strategy to manage the Asian hornet population is ongoing, having been endorsed by the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure in 2018 and executed by Agriculture, Countryside & Land Management Services.
Individuals who suspect they have spotted an Asian hornet are encouraged to report their sightings to asianhornet@gov.gg or contact the dedicated hotline at 01481 220110 or 07839 197082.
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