ISLANDERS are mistaking “growing” numbers of Jersey’s native hornet for the invasive Asian hornet.
Alastair Christie, the Island’s Asian hornet co-ordinator, has issued a reminder about how to spot a European hornet, adding that dealing with reports regarding this insect “takes time” that could otherwise be spent tackling Asian hornet numbers.
Mr Christie also confirmed that the number of Asian hornet nests dealt with so far this year stands at more than 140, which is notably down from the same time last year when the team was on nest 244.
The JEP reported in June that there had been a significant fall in the number of Asian hornet queens spotted so far this year.
Mr Christie explained: “In previous years there have always been some species of insects that are confused with Asian hornets, as is completely understandable. Usually these have been wasps and hoverflies.
“However, this year native European hornet numbers seem to have grown so that, currently, the majority of the reports that I am receiving are actually of this insect and not Asian hornets.”
While European hornets have the potential to cause a nasty sting, as a native species, with a place in Jersey’s ecology, Natural Environment strongly encourage people to leave them and their nests alone and let them go about their business.
Mr Christie continued: “Processing and responding to these reports takes time, so ideally I would seek to minimise the number of these misidentification reports if possible.
“The nest locations are usually very different, with Asian hornet nests at this time of year often being high up in the tops of trees.
“European hornet nests are usually much lower down and in a hollow cavity of some sort.”
Mr Christie said: “One other notable difference is that the European hornet will fly at night whereas Asian hornets never do.
“If reports are received of insects knocking themselves against a window after dark with the lights on indoors, I know straight away that these can only be European hornets.”
In 2021 this newspaper reported that harmless hoverflies were getting “caught in the crossfire” in the fight against Asian hornets as the Jersey Asian Hornet Group received multiple reports about misidentifying the native pollinator.
