Traps are ready to catch Asian hornet queens
SPECIALLY baited traps have been prepared as the island attempts to prevent an invasion of Asian hornets.
The ‘spring queening’ project will use 282 of the traps in an attempt to capture Asian queen hornets as they emerge from hibernation in spring, before they have the chance of raising their young and building huge nests.
‘The aim is to ensure that we can keep the populations of Asian hornet as low as possible, to protect public health and the island’s biodiversity,’ Asian hornet strategy project coordinator Francis Russell said.
With a reported rise in the number of hornet nests from two in 2017 to eight in 2018, the worry was that if no action was taken this could further increase to more than 150 nests by 2020.
While the sting from an Asian hornet is not thought to be any worse than that of a bee or wasp, hornets are very defensive and will protect their nest aggressively if it is disturbed.
In March 2017 in Jersey a person was hospitalised after disturbing a nest while cutting a hedge, with further public health risks evidenced throughout Europe.
A large nest can hold as many as 5,000 hornets, which presents a risk to the public, and will cause significant harm to the native insect populations, such as bees.
Therefore, the ‘spring queening’ project is necessary to ensure biodiversity is maintained, along with the safety of the public.
‘The “spring queening” programme being rolled out by Agriculture, Countryside & Land Management Services (ACLMS) is very exciting – it has the potential to offer a real solution to the threat of invasion by Asian hornets,’ biodiversity education officer Julia Henney said.
‘Measures have been put in place to avoid the trapping of our native insects meaning our local pollinators will be well protected.’
The aim is to keep the population of Asian hornets as low as possible, trapping them using specific bait that attracts them rather than beneficial insects such as bumble bees and hover flies.
Traps will also be modified so that any smaller insects which are caught are able to escape.
. The three-year strategy has been endorsed by Environment & Infrastructure and will be implemented by ACLMS.
