'Exceptionally Large' Asian Hornet Nest Removed From Sark

Tuesday, 17 October 2023 07:00

A domed Asian Hornet nest measuring 50cm by 70cm was spotted as the Sark ferry passed Point Banquette, on the north east coast.

Jersey Researcher Chris Isaacs travelled from Guernsey to attend the Inter-Island Environment Meeting in Sark at the end of September.

When aboard the ferry he spotted a large nest on a sycamore tree.

It's thought a queen arrived in Sark during the spring, and this nest had been growing in size over six months.

All hornet nests are retrieved, double-bagged, and placed inside a freezer for 48 hours - to ensure the invasive species can't spread.

A few queens were present at the time of the discovery, with a few more just on the point of emerging.

The Asian hornet team says more than 750 new queens could have spawned from this nest alone so they needed to deal with it quickly.

This is the sixth nest that has been removed from Sark this year - the team believes 'one or two more hornet's nests remain active in Sark and have yet to be found.

Peter Cunneen is Sark's Asian hornet volunteer coordinator:

"This nest has eluded me since early June, so I am extremely grateful to Chris Isaacs for spotting it from the ferry and to both the Jersey and Guernsey Asian hornet teams for all the help they've provided.

It's a superb example of inter-island cooperation and a great outcome for the Inter-Island Environment Meeting."

More than 300 nests have been found in Jersey this year, with five discovered on Sunday.

One was found under the roof of a bungalow in St Helier by a neighbour who was tracking the insects feeding on his wind-fall apples.