Islanders in Guernsey are being urged to ‘watch out’ for Asian hornet queens on the island, after the first nest of the year has been spotted early.

Residents identified a nest in a tree next to St Saviour’s Reservoir – which may have already successfully housed new queens.

Asian hornets pose a risk to residents, as they are very aggressive, and their stings can cause anaphylactic shock.

This is where the body has a severe allergic reaction, often leading to hospitalisation, and in extreme cases involving multiple stings, death.

In most cases however, Asian hornets’ stings will only feel slightly more painful than those from a wasp.

In addition to their threat to humans, the RSPB have warned that they are a ‘significant predator’ to honey bees.

As temperatures begin to rise, Asian hornet queens are expected to emerge from their winter hibernation, and will begin seeking sources of food and spots to nest.

Guernsey’s government have warned that these queens are most likely to visit flowering camellias in gardens, or build nests in bird boxes or outbuildings.

Each nest can hold as many as 2,000 hornets.

Asian hornets are recognisable through the orange stripes on their bodies, which are much darker than the yellow lace which is typical of their European counterparts.

They are also much smaller than European hornets.

Asian Hornets are generally between 20-24mm, barely larger than a common wasp, whereas European hornets can reach sizes of up to 35mm.

To combat the rise of Asian hornets, Guernsey’s government is launching its annual Spring Queening campaign.

This involves 230 volunteers who track and catch queen hornets before they can start a nest.

If Islanders on the Bailiwick spot Asian hornets, they are being urged to alert the authorities by emailing asianhornet@gov.gg or by telephoning either 01481 220110 or 07839197082.

Jersey residents can also expect to see Asian hornets in the coming months, after their numbers on the island increased tenfold between 2021 and 2025.

If spotted in Jersey, residents should report Asian Hornet sightings to asianhornet@gov.je or call +44 1534441633.

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