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The team tasked with tackling Asian Hornets in Guernsey have a new weapon at their disposal - a specialised lance which can propel insecticide powder in to a nest up to 50ft above the ground.
The AirAdik lance uses a pressurised air system, making it suitable for tackling hidden nests in trees and other high locations.
Pictured: The new lance should help speed up the removal of the problematic nests.
Asian Hornets have been a constant threat to local flora and fauna, and pollinators since they first arrived in Guernsey in 2017.
Since then, plans to exterminate the invasive species have centred around containing and tracking worker hornets back to the nest, before a lengthy and potentially hazardous removal.
The introduction of the lance to the Asian Hornet team’s arsenal is expected to be essential in the tracking and removal of nests, so much so there was community help in getting it up and running.
Donkey Divers Ltd provided a cylinder and regulator valve, in order to provide the lance with that steady flow of compressed air, meanwhile the Guernsey Beekeepers Association offered to contribute 50% of the overall costs of the specialised equipment.
Debbie Cox, is the secretary of the Guernsey Beekeepers Association.
“We are so fortunate the team are dealing so efficiently with this issue and appreciate both the hard work and their regular communications to us, keeping our beekeepers informed of the situation," she said.
“At the GBKA 2023 Honey Show, the AHT (Asian Hornet Team) were awarded The Dave Parsons MBE Memorial Trophy, which is presented to the person, or persons, who has made the most outstanding contribution to the GBKA in that year."
Pictured: Asian Hornets are an aggressive predator of many types of insect, but on average, 39% of its diet is made up of honeybees.
The final nest of 2023 was discovered on 29 September, so it’s likely that there could still be a nest hiding in Guernsey, and hibernating for the winter.
“Once a nest has been found the biggest challenge is how to gain safe access so the nest can be destroyed and removed, sometimes these prove to be in extremely testing situations, said Guernsey’s Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) Policy & Coordination Officer, Francis Russell.
“As with the three nests already found this year, most of the 14 nests that we tackled last year were within easy reach of our standard 8m lance from a mobile elevated platform, but the most difficult nests were out of reach or on uneven ground. The only option for removing the nests found on the cliffs at Fermain and two over quarries in the Vale was to utilise rope access specialists.
“This new lance will be a game changer and hopefully reduce the occasions where we need to work from a mobile elevated platform.”
Pictured: A member of Guernsey's Asian Hornet team using the mobile elevated platform. Something they'll be doing less of with the new Lance.
Elsewhere in the Bailiwick, Alderney’s Asian Hornet Team is also continually hard at work tackling the invasive species.
They’ve been addressing the threat in much the same way as Guernsey by tracking the drones, finding the hive, and destroying the nest, but with fewer eyes searching and lots of green areas for nests to nestle in, the job is still a difficult one.
The Alderney Asian Team is headed up by David Jarolik, the Island's Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Operative Manager. He’s keen to see more growth on their already blooming rapport with the public.
“We had a very successful spring queen trapping this year. We took advantage of the strong social networks we established last year, engaged the public more, and killed 101 queens. Last year, we only managed 26. So far this season, we’ve destroyed 17 nests.
“We expect a significant increase in numbers over the next few days.”
Pictured: David Jarolik (right) with two of the latest nests which were tracked and tackled swiftly.
The Alderney team have worked closely with members of the public who tip them off about locations where Asian Hornets are sighted, and the Alderney States Works Team.
“Effective leadership and cooperation within the Agriculture team have allowed us to tackle the current situation successfully, with tremendous help from the public," said Mr Jarolik.
“I intend to hold a small exhibition of nests, including a program and an interview with the public, to further improve efficiency and cooperation with the community.”
Pictured: Alderney's impressive collection of conquered nests.
The public and Asian Hornet team in Alderney are certainly prolific in the hunt for hornets, during the writing of this article they tracked down three additional nests.
If you’d like to find out more about Asian Hornets, how to report them, or how to get involved in combating the invasive species, you can visit the States Webpage.
First queen Asian hornet of the year caught in the Vale
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