JERSEY is getting support from UK volunteers in its fight against the Asian hornet as the number of nests being discovered continues to rise higher than ever before.
Private individuals and government officials have been travelling to the Island to learn the methods employed by the local team hunting the invasive species.
As of yesterday, a record 227 nests had been located, compared to 174 found during the whole of 2022.
This is despite 476 colony-building queens being trapped this season, a significant increase from the 55 caught last year.
Jersey Asian Hornet Group volunteer John de Carteret said around 15 ‘private individuals and government officials’ had recently come from the UK to learn how to track the insects back to their nests.
‘We are pleased to say we have quite a large number of visitors coming over at the moment,’ he explained, noting that there was growing concern in the UK about Asian hornets following a rise in the number of sightings.
‘It is also worth noting that the system we have here regarding training up volunteers on track and trace, they cannot do in the UK because of government regulations,’ he continued.
‘They [the visitors] learn how to track and trace and they also help us to find nests.’
He added that volunteers played an important role in locating nests and helping Jersey’s Asian hornet co-ordinator, Alastair Christie.
‘We always need more people – it is also a community thing,’ Mr de Carteret said.
Mr Christie and the Jersey Asian Hornet Group are among those in the running for the Environmentalist(s) of the Year category in the Pride of Jersey awards.
Voting for the awards is now open via prideofjersey.com and Islanders can also fill in a voting slip, which will be published in the JEP each day until the polls close at midnight on Monday 11 September.
