Further sightings of Asian hornets have been confirmed in Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) has said.<\/p>\n
The agency said the sightings were in the Dundonald area of Belfast.<\/p>\n
It follows the confirmation of the first sighting of an Asian Hornet in Northern Ireland last Friday in the same area.<\/p>\n
The NIEA said this suggests the existence of a nest.<\/p>\n
Agency officials are moving to employ ‘track and trace’ methods to establish the location of, and remove, any potential nest in the area, the NIEA said.<\/p>\n
“The public is urged to be vigilant and report any suspect insects, ideally with a photograph, to DAERA via the Asian Hornet Watch app at https:\/\/www.brc.ac.uk\/app\/asian-hornet-watch or via the CEDaR invasive species online recording at http:\/\/www2.habitas.org.uk\/records\/ISI.<\/p>\n
“Suspected nests should not be disturbed but reported immediately.”<\/p>\n
The species is a highly-effective predator of insects including honeybees, wasps and other important pollinators.<\/p>\n
Due to its aggressive nature and feeding habits, it could have a serious impact on native insect biodiversity.<\/p>\n
Asian hornets have been found in Cobh and Cork in recent months.<\/p>\n