Second confirmed Asian Hornet sighting of the year

Wednesday 25 April 2018

An Asian hornet was found on Saturday 21 April at a house in the Petites Capelles, just days after the first confirmed sighting of the year in St Peters.

There were also three "possible sightings" in nearby roads - Rue des Annevilles and La Route Des Capelles - in 2017, but none of those sightings were ever confirmed.

The one found at Petites Capelles is smaller than the one found near the Longfrie last week, so it may be a "worker from a primary nest" whereas the one previously confirmed was reported to be a queen. 

Any queens that have survived the winter will be emerging from hibernation at this time of year and so we're all asked to be vigilant and to report any potential sightings to the States Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Services team.

Each queen begins by building a grapefruit sized primary or embryo nest which can contain up to 50 worker hornets. These may be in buildings or outhouses, before they are relocated to larger secondary nests which could grow to contain up to 3,000 hornets.

Pictured: The Queen Asian Hornet found in St Peters last week

Asian hornets are described as an "aggressive predator of many types of insect" but on average 30% of its diet is made up of honeybees. ACLMS said they are seen as "a major threat to our biodiversity, pollinator insects, and beekeeping activities."

Anyone who thinks they have seen an Asian hornet or found an Asian hornet nest should report it to Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Services (ACLMS) via email - asianhornet@gov.gg or by calling 234567.

The public are encouraged especially to check buildings, lofts, sheds and outhouses for primary nests and if a suspected hornet is sighted, a photo should be taken and emailed to asianhornet@gov.gg including:

• The location
• The direction the hornet flew in
• Name and contact details

Or alternatively, sightings can be loged through the iPhone and Android recording app: Asian Hornet Watch.