"Basketball-sized" Asian hornet nest removed from Guernsey school grounds

Friday, 29 August 2025 14:55

Close up of nest from States of Guernsey

A cherry picker was used to remove a large Asian hornet nest from a tree inside the grounds of Elizabeth College.

A large Asian hornet nest, hidden 40 feet off the ground in an old turkey oak tree, was safely removed and destroyed yesterday (28 August).

This took place just before Elizabeth College reopened for the autumn term next week.

Invasive Non-Native Species Policy & Coordination Officer Francis Russell says they need to keep populations of Asian hornets as low as possible, to protect public health and the island’s biodiversity.

“It is always more complicated having to track hornets in a built-up area, and dealing with nests in town requires a lot more planning to ensure public safety.

"After receiving a number of reports and seeing photographs of hornets hovering over pints of beer at the Swan Inn and at The Terraces restaurant, we knew we were looking for a nest in town.

"Since we started this Asian hornet control programme in 2019, this is the third occasion where we have called on the services of the Guernsey Civil Protection.

"They are always highly professional in setting up a cordon and securing the immediate area, which allows our team to focus on safely destroying and removing these nests.”

Islanders should report suspected sightings to asianhornet@gov.gg or telephone 01481 220110 or 07839 197082.