Sark sees record number of Asian hornet queens found

Islanders are advised if they spot one they should take a picture watch where it flies to and then report it to the Asian hornet team

Record number of Asian hornet queens were found in Sark this year, it has been revealed.

During the annual spring trapping campaign 24 were found, beating the previous record of 11.

In addition, the Guernsey Asian hornet team has been in Sark this week removing three nests.

Peter Cunneen, from the Sark hornet team, said it was "remarkable" and asked islanders to be "vigilant" when reporting sightings of the creatures.

Wet weather during the spring is thought to have been a factor, along with persistent north-easterly winds allowing the hornets to fly from France, the team said.

In Guernsey, the team captured a total of 37 queens, before confirming it was 38, a figure three times higher than last year.

Mr Cunneen said it had been a "very very busy year".

'Torrid time'

Between April and June they caught 24 queens in Sark, up from one last year, and beating the previous record of 11.

He said: "We knew we were in for a torrid time - we knew some would get away and they have. We tracked two nests, one of which was on the west side yesterday, and in the process of removing that we actually found another nest."

He said he hoped there would be a noticeable drop in numbers as a result of the nests' removal.

"If it is a concern for Sark it should also be a concern for Guernsey," he said.

"If we end up with our own resident population of Asian hornets then the jump to Guernsey is so much shorter so that becomes a problem for the Bailiwick as a whole.

"It is not something that is ever going to go away - we just have to really be vigilant, maintain the clearing every spring, and that people when they see an Asian hornet, make sure they report it."

The hornet feeds on honey bees by biting the heads off and eating the rest of the insect, with a detrimental impact on pollination of native plants.

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