Asian hornets’ nest located in Cork after tiny trackers were fixed to the insects

An Asian hornets’ nest has been located in Co Cork by way of miniature tracking devices that were attached to some of the insects.The operation, spearheaded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), followed the recent discovery of two of the insects. The Asian hornet is an invasive species that poses a significant threat to native Irish honeybees.The discovery was made following reports of Asian hornets in the area. The nest was located near Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, and will now be removed. Monitoring will continue to identify any further activity.Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan said efforts had been escalated following the successful capture of a second Asian hornet in Ringaskiddy, close to the area where a member of the public had photographed another one last week.READ MOREAt the time, O’Sullivan called for renewed public vigilance following the discovery.The operation to locate the nest involved the use of miniature tracking transmitters attached to hornets, enabling the response team to rapidly trace and pinpoint the location of the nest.O’Sullivan said “speed is critical” in an operation like this. “Once reports of Asian hornets were received, it was essential that every effort was made to locate the nest as quickly as possible,” he said.The use of new technology has “significantly strengthened” the response capability, allowing the hornets to be tracked back to their nest, he said.O’Sullivan said monitoring would continue over the coming days to ensure any further activity was identified and dealt with “promptly”.[ How to recognise an Asian hornet and what to do if you see oneOpens in new window ]“Our immediate priority is the safe removal of the nest and a thorough investigation of the surrounding area,” he said.O’Sullivan said this operation demonstrated the importance of early detection, public reporting and rapid action in managing invasive species and protecting Ireland’s biodiversity.The director general with the NPWS, Niall O’Donnchú, described the Asian hornet as “a very aggressive invasive alien species”, adding that the importance of finding the nest quickly “cannot be overstated”.“Our teams will continue to work to establish that this is the sole nest in the vicinity,” he said.Hornets hover outside beehives like helicopters to ambush and snatch returning, tired forager bees. They use their powerful jaws to cut the heads and wings off captured bees. They then take the protein-rich thorax back to their nest to feed developing larvae.While their venomous sting is painful, health authorities note they pose no greater direct risk to humans than native wasps or hornets, unless an individual suffers from severe allergic reactions.The Asian hornet is distinguished from other hornets, wasps, and bees by its dark, velvety body, bright yellow leg tips, and specialised hunting behaviour.