THERE has been a “staggering rise” in the number of Asian hornet queens found in Jersey this year.
More than 1,300 queens have been recorded so far in 2025, compared to around 200 at this point in 2024.
And there have been 123 Asian hornet nest records, as of Thursday – around six times as many as in 2024.
Jersey Asian Hornet Group co-founder John de Carteret called it a “staggering rise”.
He said that it had been an “ideal spring” for the creatures due to warm and sunny conditions.
Jersey experienced its warmest spring since records began in 2025, according to statistics released this week by Jersey Met.
The invasive species has been found in some surprising places, with one queen building her nest next to a swimming pool while another was discovered in a bird box in a garden centre.
There have also been recent reports of Asian worker hornets found along roads in town, in St Martin, St Peter’s Valley and in Rozel.
Mr de Carteret urged Islanders to stay vigilant and report any sightings to the group.
“It is a seven-day a week operation,” Mr Carteret said of the work the “army” of volunteers does alongside government officers.
He praised the efforts of Islanders in helping to raise awareness of the problem pests.
“We rely heavily on the public,” Mr de Carteret said.
One positive Mr de Carteret said he took from the “staggering” numbers of Asian hornet queens found so far this year was that it demonstrated their awareness campaign was working and that people were reporting Asian hornets when they spotted them.
The beekeeper said he now expected to see a “transition” with reports of Asian hornet queens falling and the numbers of worker Asian hornets rising.
How to report?
- Asian hornet queens and nests can be reported to asianhornet@gov.je
- Reports need to include the location and a photo of the insect
Figures for 5 June compared to same time last year:
- Asian hornet queens: 1337 compared to 222
- Hornet nest records: 123 compared to 25
