MORE ASIAN HORNETS have been discovered in Ireland as a response team tries to contain the risk they pose to biosecurity in the wake of a confirmed sighting in Cork earlier this month.

Asian Hornets are a type of wasp indigenous to southeast Asia and an invasive species present in many European countries, though rarely seen in Ireland.

They pose a biodiversity threat because they have the capacity to significantly devastate honeybee populations by hunting them down and ‘colonising’ their hives.

Earlier this month, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) confirmed a sighting and subsequent capture of an Asian Hornet in Cork.

It was only the second time a verified sighting of an Asian Hornet had been confirmed in Ireland, with the first coming from the Dublin area in 2021. 

A survey team was deployed to the area for monitoring and surveying conducted.

Now, the Department of Heritage has said that since the discovery in Cork, further sightings of the Asian Hornet have been confirmed.

“As a result, the survey and monitoring team have intensified efforts,” a statement to The Journal said.

“The Asian Hornet Management Group have consulted with experts from the UK and are monitoring the situation closely,” it said.

“The location of sightings and monitoring activities are not being disclosed for operational purposes.”

The department is advising the public that Asian Hornets are not generally aggressive to humans but may sting if provoked.

“The public are therefore advised not to approach or attempt to capture a suspected individual but instead to report any suspected sightings through the National Biodiversity Data Centre’s reporting portal, including a photograph if possible.”