Longfrie nest found!

Saturday 21 July 2018

The Asian hornet nest which had been suspected in the area around the Longfrie has finally been found.

It was spotted on private land near to St Peter’s Church but it is said to be in a difficult to reach spot.

The nest, which is approximately the size of a football, will be "treated and removed as soon as possible" with the States Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Services (ACLMS) team hoping that will happen next week although this is not yet confirmed. 

ACLMS said it is working in partnership with the Guernsey Beekeepers Association (GBKA) to collate sighting information, locate and destroy Asian hornet nests.

It also "wishes to thank the GBKA and members of the public for their assistance in reporting sightings of hornets, and in particular to those who have volunteered their time to track the flight paths of hornets, which has led to this nest being found."

Those people who have been working to track down the Asian hornets will now focus their efforts on funding the nest in St Andrews - after the insects were seen in an area near the GSPCA.

A spokesperson for ACLMS said members of the public are encouraged to continue to be "vigilant and report any potential sightings."

Any private land and property including sheds and outhouses should be checked for nests. If anything is spotted you should not kill the insect but instead "take a good quality close up photo if possible."

Pictures can be emailed to asianhornet@gov.gg with the following information:

• the location;
• the direction the hornet came from and subsequently flew to; 
• your name and contact details.

Alternatively, the sighting can be logged through the free iPhone and Android recording app: Asian Hornet Watch, or by calling 234567 with as much information as possible.

Pictured: file image of an Asian hornet nest