Operation underway to locate and remove Asian hornet nest in Cork
An intensive operation is underway to locate and remove an Asian hornet nest in the Ringaskiddy area of Co. Cork.
According to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage today (Thursday, October 1) a second Asian hornet has been captured close to the location where an initial specimen was photographed by a member of the public late last week.
The Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan today said: “Since the National Biodiversity Data Centre confirmed the initial sighting of an Asian hornet in Ringaskiddy, National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has mounted an intensive surveillance and monitoring operation in the area.
“The discovery yesterday of a second hornet is a significant development and suggests that a nest may be present nearby.
“Our response has now moved into a critical new phase, with specialist bait stations being deployed to track and trace any further hornet activity and pinpoint the nest location as quickly as possible.”
Transmitter technology
According to the minister conservation rangers will use the latest transmitter technology to follow the movements of individual hornets back to their nest.
He said: “This approach has proven highly successful in other countries, including the UK, and gives us the best possible chance of locating the nest before the species can establish itself.
“We know from our successful response to last year's incursion that early detection and rapid intervention are absolutely critical.”
Minister O’Sullivan has thanked members of the public whose "vigilance" he said had helped to identify Asian hornets.
"Public awareness remains one of our strongest defences," he added.
The first discovery in Ireland of a live Asian hornet was recorded in April 2021. Last summer two nests were detected and removed in Co. Cork.
Members of the public are being encouraged to photograph sightings of the Asian hornet and report it to the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
