'Favourable winds' result in fewer Asian hornets

The number of Asian hornets trapped this year has almost halved compared to last year, a volunteer group has reported.

Alderney Asian Hornet Group said 188 Asian hornet queens had been caught in traps and two primary nests destroyed, a significant decrease on the record-breaking number trapped last year.

The group said a total of 365 queens were trapped in 2025, 99 were trapped in 2024 and 26 in 2023.

David Jarolík, the group's administrator, said they attributed the lower numbers to to a "successful last season and a favourable wind direction and strength from France".

David Jarolík said the year's first Asian hornet queen had been trapped on 18 March [PA Media]

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The first Asian hornet, an invasive species which feeds on native bees and wasps, was found in Alderney in 2016.

Jarolík said trapping had started earlier than usual, in February, and the year's first Asian hornet queen had been trapped on 18 March.

He said: "We have also doubled the number of traps and have more volunteers, for which we are very grateful.

"Because of this, and thanks to a successful previous season, we can confidently say that the figures we are reporting represent a success.

"Our goal is to eliminate the hornets, not to celebrate high numbers for their own sake."

Jarolík said the group would provide freezing spray to volunteers for the first time, which make it easier for people to kill the insects themselves and negate the need to put traps in the freezer.

Volunteers should now remove the Asian hornet traps to avoid catching other insects, he added.

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