Asian Hornet Tracker Leads to Nest Discovery

Guernsey’s Asian hornet team has been busy this summer thanks to a new “game-changing” tinsel tracking system. This clever technique involves temporarily immobilizing the insect and attaching a long, visible strip to help track it back to its nest. With this method, officials were able to destroy a nest the size of a football in the Saints Bay valley, marking the second discovery of its kind in two years.

Francis Russell, the project coordinator, praised the innovative ‘tinsel tracking’ technique, calling it a gamechanger in their latest encounter with Asian hornets. By using more creative tracking methods, they hope to identify and remove nests more quickly in the future.

This tracking technique was actually devised by Jersey hornet researcher Chris Isaacs and shared with Guernsey’s Asian hornet team. After a member of the public reported the presence of Asian hornets in the area, bait stations were used to confirm their presence. The team then utilized the top level of the Saints Bay loophole tower to successfully locate and neutralize the nest hidden in dense blackthorn scrub.

The team’s hard work this summer has paid off, with more developed nests being discovered due to favorable weather conditions allowing for uninterrupted nest building and foraging. Nik Carre, the land management and Asian hornet officer, described the experience of tracking the nest as “hugely rewarding and exciting,” utilizing his tree surgeon skills to locate the hard-to-reach nest.

The team is grateful to the public for their vigilance in reporting these sightings and to Museum Services for providing access to the loophole tower, aiding in the discovery and removal of the nests. Keep up with the latest updates by following BBC Guernsey and BBC Jersey on social media, and share your own story ideas at [email protected].