Asian hornet numbers rise after 'perfect winter'

More Asian hornet queens have already been trapped this year in the Channel Islands than in the whole of 2024.

This year Jersey volunteers have already trapped 619 queens, more than three times the number caught last year.

The numbers of queens caught in Guernsey, Alderney and Sark this year have also exceeded the recorded totals for 2024.

Alastair Christie, Jersey government's senior scientific officer for invasive species said it had been "a good winter" for Asian hornet queens with consistent temperatures.

The invasive species, first discovered in the Channel Islands in 2016, feeds on native bees and wasps, damaging biodiversity.

On Thursday, the 619th Asian hornet queen was trapped on Jersey, a significantly larger number than the total of 200 trapped in 2024 and 298 in 2023.

One of the founding members of the Jersey Asian hornet group, John De Carteret, said this year's count was "rapidly escalating".

He said 406 reports had been made in the east of Jersey, with 194 of the queens found in the parish of St Martin, and 118 in the west.

"These queens don't just give themselves up," he said.

"It's all down to the hours of checking traps by all the volunteers, so pat yourselves on the back and hope, as I do, that the more caught now must translate into fewer nests later."

On Friday, the 13th Asian hornet queen trapped this year in Guernsey was discovered in St Peters, surpassing last year's total of 12 and nearing the 2023 total of 15.

Guernsey's Asian hornet team coordinator Francis Russell said: "This year we have witnessed queens around two weeks earlier than average.

"The first was trapped on 5 April - the easterly winds are thought to explain this early start."

He said trapping took place for 10 weeks and would end 10 June.

On Friday the number of Asian hornet queens trapped in Alderney reached 106, exceeding a total of 99 trapped in 2024 and dozens more than 2023's total of 26.

Alderney's Asian Hornet group's administrator David Jarolík reminded members to check their traps regularly and look out for primary nests which would have been made by queens.

Sark, too, has surpassed its record as the 35th queen was trapped on Thursday, exceeding the total number of 30 caught in 2024 and 16 in 2023.

Alastair Christie, the senior scientific officer for invasive species for the Government of Jersey, said it had been "a good winter" for Asian hornet queens with consistent temperatures and steady warming through the spring.

He said: "A higher number of nests were found later in the 2024 season, after mid-October, when they will have released the new generation of queens to mate, hibernate and then emerge now.

"Also we recently had a period of sustained easterly winds that may well have brought queen hornets over from France," he added.

Anyone who suspects they have found an Asian hornet is asked to send a photo and details to the Guernsey Asian hornet team via [email protected] or the Jersey team via [email protected].

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