'We are in a race against time' - possibility of second Asian hornet nest in Cork, as potential sighting reported in Dublin

""We are now following the exact same plan that we put in place for Cork city, to monitor the area and we will soon begin the tracking of hornets to see if there is a nest in that general area." He said there is a chance these hornets are strays from the first nest, however the probability of that is low and the "suspicion" is that there is a second nest."

""We are in a race against time, but we do have enough time in our hands to manage this situation. "I think it's quite possible that they will start emerging any time over the next couple of weeks, really. That's when my risk awareness for that goes up. "But again, it still means that we can control the nest as well.""

A report from a member of the public identified an Asian hornet southeast of Cork city, and subsequent efforts captured a second individual in the same area. Monitoring and tracking will begin to determine whether a nest exists nearby. Winds from the northwest may have displaced hornets, but that possibility appears low and suspicion rests on a second nest. One single hornet sighting occurred in west Dublin, likely an individual that arrived on a ship. Response is urgent because queens could disperse and establish new nests; emergence may begin in the next few weeks and nests remain controllable. Nesting in attics or cowsheds is possible but unlikely.

Read at Irish Independent