Asian hornet's nest located near Ringaskiddy after tracking device attached to insect

An Asian hornet nest has been located near Ringaskiddy after a major operation led by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

Safely removing the nest is an “immediate priority” for the team, who will continue to monitor the area.

Two Asian hornets were found this week, both dead and likely to have arrived here on a ship, but there were fears that the species could spread and pose a significant threat to Ireland’s biodiversity as the insects can cause huge damage to other species, including pollinators like bees.

Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity and Cork TD Christopher O’Sullivan confirmed on Friday afternoon that the nest had been discovered after an operation which involved the use of miniature tracking transmitters attached to live hornets, enabling the response team to rapidly trace and pinpoint the location of the nest.

Mr O’Sullivan said: “In an operation like this, speed is critical. Once reports of Asian hornets were received, it was essential that every effort was made to locate the nest as quickly as possible.

“The use of this new technology has significantly strengthened our rapid response capability, allowing teams on the ground to track hornets back to their nest with remarkable efficiency.” 

He thanked the NPWS Conservation Rangers, Cork County Council, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the National Biodiversity Data Centre, for their expertise and speed.

“Our immediate priority is the safe removal of the nest and a thorough investigation of the surrounding area. Monitoring will continue over the coming days to ensure any further activity is identified and dealt with promptly,” he concluded.

Niall O’Donnchú, director general with the NPWS commended the team for the speed they were able to find the nest.

“This is a very aggressive invasive alien species and the importance of finding the nest quickly cannot be overstated,” he said.

“Our teams will continue to work to establish that this is the sole nest in the vicinity and, again, we thank the public in Ringaskiddy and the Cork region for their vigilance, support and hospitality.”