Warm weather sparks Asian hornet warning in Guernsey
Islanders are being asked to look out for Asian hornets and their nests after three were captured over the last week in Guernsey.
It brings the total number of confirmed sightings this year to five.
Four have been trapped by volunteers monitoring special hornet traps set up every 500m across Guernsey.
After a quiet spring, the recent warm weather has seen a spike in queen Asian hornet movements, particularly in the Vale where three of the captured hornets were trapped.
Francis Russell, Project Coordinator for Guernsey's Asian Hornet Strategy, has thanked volunteers and islanders for their help so far, asking everyone to remain vigilant and report any potential sightings with pictures if possible.
The insects are larger than a normal wasp, much darker in colour, have yellow legs, a mustard orange band across their backside and a bright yellow 'belt' around their waist.
Their early nests are similar to those of a queen wasp, starting off around the size of a golf ball and made of a pale brown papery material. They can typically be found in sheds and outbuildings on a sheltered rafter or ceiling.
Guernsey's Asian Hornet Team can be contacted by emailing asianhornet@gov.gg or calling 07839 197082. More information can be found here.