WHILE some people may have welcomed in the new year with a headache and sense of regret, members of the Jersey Asian Hornet Group kicked off 2024 with a rare sighting…
An active Asian hornet nest was spotted about five metres off the ground in a hazel tree at a property in St Peter and reported to the team over the weekend.
Asian hornet co-ordinator Alastair Christie explained that it was a “surprise” to find a “completely intact nest” at this time of year, as they normally die off around November or December.
Mr Christie said: “As far as we know we’ve never found one like this so late in the year, particularly with the recent weather damaging nests.”
The Asian hornet co-ordinator attributed the late sighting to the “sheltered position” of the nest which had allowed it to “avoid the full force of Storm Ciarán”.
Mr Christie added that the mild weather had also helped the nest to survive so far into the winter.
Jersey Asian Hornet Group volunteer John de Carteret said that a record 338 nests were found in 2023, almost double the 174 found during 2022.
The invading hornets are a problem for the local ecosystem as they are a proven predator of native insects, posing a threat to honey bees and other pollinators.
Mr de Carteret echoed Mr Christie’s opinion that the timing of the most recent nest sighting was “unusual”.
He said: “Normally the nests die off going into winter, leaving only the new queens deep in hibernation.
“This is the first ‘active’ nest found in Jersey to still be alive at this time of the year.
“Although it’s unusual here in Jersey, it does happen in southern Europe.”
Mr Christie explained that the active nest now raises some questions, such as what the hornets have been eating to sustain themselves for so long and if the nest is still fertile.
He said that the Jersey Asian Hornet Group volunteers hoped to retrieve the nest in as intact a state as possible to be able to provide answers to the questions.
The volunteers have previously worked with the University of Exeter to use samples of larvae to work out what the hornets have been eating, and Mr Christie hoped this could happen again.
The nest is due to be removed by the team tomorrow.
Islanders can report sightings of Asian hornets or their nests by emailing asianhornet@gov.je – attaching a photo if possible – or by calling Asian-hornet co-ordinator Alastair Christie on 441633.
