If they are not treated, these nests will expand rapidly during the summer months and will hold up to 5,000 hornets each.

Those hornets would then pose an increased risk to the public as well as causing significant harm to our native insect populations as they are a voracious predator.

Pictured: A queen Asian hornet with its newly constructed primary nest.

Last week, the fourth queen Asian hornet sighting of 2020 was confirmed by the Asian Hornet Team in a garden on Les Querities, Castel, but it evaded capture.

This follows a sighting of another queen Asian hornet on 9 May, which was filmed visiting geranium flowers in a garden on Route des Pecqueries, St Sampsons, which also escaped.

In an attempt to catch these queen hornets, specially modified traps have been set up in the vicinities of both gardens and are being regularly monitored by the respective residents. These extra traps are in addition to the 270 that have been in operation since the beginning of April, set up every 500m across the island as part of the AHT’s annual ‘Spring Queening’ project.

Francis Russell - Project Coordinator (Asian Hornet Strategy) said:

“Throughout this lockdown period when more of us are spending time in our gardens and out enjoying the island’s wildlife it is really important to remain vigilant for Asian hornets and report any potential sightings swiftly so that we can check these out. I would also ask people to check their outbuildings, sheds, verandas and porches to look for any of theseearly queen’s nests.”

If you think you have discovered an Asian hornet, try to contain it, take a photograph and email it to asianhornet@gov.gg for confirmation, or call 07839 197012. For more information please visit gov.gg/asianhornet.

Pictured top: Asian hornet (4th sighting for 2020) spotted in Castel on Sunday.