02/04/2026
🆕New Guidance - Asian Hornet Nest Identification : https://shorturl.at/cKRGD
📷📝If you spot an Asian hornet embryo nest, please report it with a photo to our online recording form: www.invasives.ie/asianhornetreporter
⚠️ Important: Not all small nests belong to Asian hornets. Only report nests where you have seen an Asian hornet. Observe from a safe distance and watch for returning insects.
Why it matters:
Asian hornets are not currently known to be in Ireland. If they establish here, they could pose a serious threat to honeybees and other pollinators. Between March and April, mated queens could be expected to build their embryo nests.
How to identify an embryo nest:
✅ Small and spherical like a tennis ball (5–10 cm in diameter)
✅ Single entrance hole at the base
✅ Built in spring by a lone queen
Some places you might spot an embryo nest:
🌳 Brambles and hedgerows
🛖 Garden sheds
🚫 DO NOT destroy nests: they may belong to native wasps, which are essential for pest control and pollination.
Asian hornets are often mistaken for these look-alike species in Ireland:
🐝 Greater horntail wasps
🐝 Common wasps
🐝 Other wood wasps
Learn more about Asian hornet: www.invasives.ie/asianhornet
For honeybee hive concerns email: beekeeping@agriculture.gov.ie
