DAERA urges vigilance as Asian hornet monitoring begins in Dundonald

Monitoring activity begins in the Dundonald area of Belfast.

DAERA is urging the public to remain vigilant for sightings of Asian hornets as monitoring activity begins in the Dundonald area of Belfast.

The Asian hornet, also known as the yellow-legged hornet, is an invasive non-native species originating from East Asia. It is a highly effective predator of insects including honeybees, wasps and other important pollinators and could have a serious impact on native insect biodiversity and crop pollination.

In October 2025, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) removed Northern Ireland’s first confirmed Asian hornet nest following its discovery in Dundonald.

Since it cannot be determined that the nest was removed before any over-wintering queens were produced and dispersed, as a precautionary measure, NIEA will now undertake a monitoring programme in the area over the next three months.  This period coincides with the time emergent queens, if there were any over wintering, will be active prior to building secondary nests.

Monitoring will involve the placement of targeted traps within a five-kilometre radius of where the nest was located. These traps are designed to selectively trap Asian hornet queens while excluding by-catch of other insects.

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir said: “In October, NIEA staff acted swiftly to locate and safely destroy Northern Ireland’s first Asian hornet nest. Their rapid response helped reduce the risk posed by this invasive species.

“With monitoring taking place in the Dundonald area over the coming months, I would encourage the public to remain vigilant and report any sightings where possible. From April to June, if you encounter a suspected Asian hornet, please do not kill it, if you can, trap it, take a photo and report it.”

Suspected sightings of Asian hornets should be reported, ideally with a photograph, via the Asian Hornet Watch app (sightings cannot be verified without a photograph).