Workers stung after Asian hornet nest cut in two

Two people were stung by Asian hornets after the harvester they were in tore a nest in half, according to officials.

Jersey's Asian hornet team said the agricultural workers were stung on Tuesday last week after the harvester they were using disturbed brambles, tearing the nest in two.

One person was stung four times and the other was stung once, with both being taken to hospital as a precaution.

Asian hornet co-ordinator Alastair Christie said while neither of the people were seriously harmed, it was a reminder that the insects could nest almost anywhere.

The Asian hornet team said it was called to the incident in a field south of La Rue de Haut, St Lawrence.

"The nest was in brambles beside a field and as they were harvesting the potatoes, the harvester had caught the overgrown brambles, moved those around, which had broken the nest in half," said Mr Christie.

"The hornets, unsurprisingly, were a little upset by this and a couple of the workers on the harvester were stung and taken to A&E as a precaution. There were no lasting effects."

He said agricultural workers and gardeners were the people most likely to be stung by the insects.

Mr Christie said Asian hornets were not individually more aggressive than bees or wasps.

"If you disturb a nest they will defend it vigorously and this nest got torn in half so perhaps put yourself in their situation, if someone tore your house in half," he said.

"If you leave them alone, they leave you alone, but if you disturb their nest it can get quite serious."

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