The threat of the Asian Hornet has reached Ireland, with two confirmed sightings in Cork City, one on 31st July and another on 5th August 2025. The Irish Beekeepers Association (IBA) can confirm that action is underway to locate and destroy any nests, with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) actively working in the area supported by beekeepers.
Why This Matters for Irish Beekeepers
The Asian Hornet (Vespa velutina) is a dangerous invasive species known to prey on honeybees and other pollinators. If allowed to become established, it could have devastating effects on Irish ecosystems and beekeeping.
The IBA, in collaboration with other beekeeping groups across Ireland, is holding ongoing strategy meetings to prevent this from happening.
What You Should Do
We urge all beekeepers and members of the public in Cork and surrounding areas to stay vigilant:
- Report any sightings immediately at invasives.ie
- If possible, include a clear photo for easier verification
- Check your traps regularly; HOWEVER, DO NOT locate traps near or in your apiary. This could attract Asian Hornets to your bees.
- Share this information with other beekeepers and gardening communities
PLEASE FAMILIARISE YOURSELF WITH THE APPEARANCE OF ASIAN HORNET
Photo courtesy of Somerset BKA
Effective Trapping Methods Being Used
We’ve seen success with a specially adapted trap using TRAPPIT, the bait of choice in Jersey, where Asian Hornets are already being managed.
The trap includes:
- A sponge cut to fit the base, which soaks the TRAPPIT liquid
- A 6 mm entry hole, which prevents Asian Hornets from escaping but allows smaller insects like wasps to fly out unharmed. Traps are checked daily to release any bycatch that fails to escape through the drilled holes.
See video and trap instructions:
Special thanks to John De Carteret from the Jersey Asian Hornet Group for sharing this method.
DIY Bait Recipe from Jersey Experts
For those preferring a homemade Asian Hornet trap bait, here’s a tried-and-tested recipe that ferments and stays effective for weeks:
Ingredients:
- 1 kg sugar
- 2 litres water
- 2 tablespoons blackberry jam (sieved into the water)
- 1 teaspoon baker’s yeast
Instructions:
- Note: boiling water is used to ensure adequate mixing and distribution of the jam throughout the mixture.
- Chris (Jersey) pushes the jam through a sieve and the use of the boiling water and a sieve means the jam doesn’t end up in lumps at the bottom of the bottle and allows rapid fermentation to take place.
- Allow the mixture to cool before adding the bakers yeast. He advises using boiling water but water must be cooled first. (If yeast is added to boiling water, the high temperature will kill the yeast and fermentation will not take place. It is the fermentation which attracts the hornets to the bait.)
- Warning: After the yeast is added, fermentation will commence. This process generates carbon dioxide gas so it is important to allow the release of this gas from the container, as the container might rupture and spill the attractant in its immediate area.
- Do not screw down tightly the cap of any container that holds the blackberry mix bait.
- We found that this works best after a few days of fermentation.
- If one uses the mix within the first few days of making it up, it will attract huge numbers of honey bees!
For those who want to use homemade traps, consider the inverted bottle. Adapt as per the Vespa catch traps. Works well too.
Homemade WICK Bait jars.
These are used to attract / confirm the presence of hornets that might be in an area. If Asian Hornets start appearing the traps can be replaced with open bait trays or the hornets can be marked whilst settled and feeding on the wick.
Homemade WICK TRAPS as used in Jersey will attract Asian Hornets
Inverted bottle traps can be adapted to LIVE traps as per the Video shown.
An Asian Hornet filmed at a bait station in Cork on Thursday, 21st August, 2025
Stay Updated
We will continue to keep IBA members and the wider community informed as updates come in. This is a collective effort — the earlier we act, the greater our chances of keeping the Asian Hornet out of Ireland for good.