Athlone beekeeper criticises response to latest Asian Hornet threat

By Rebekah O'Reilly

Athlone native Ruairi O’Leochain, a beekeeper, wildlife activist and primary school teacher, has criticised what he describes as a poor response to the recent arrival of the invasive Asian Hornet in Ireland.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) confirmed the sighting and capture of an Asian Hornet (Vespa velutina) in the Cork area on Wednesday, August 13.

The discovery triggered a biosecurity alert, given the insect’s potential impact on Ireland’s pollinators and biodiversity. While the hornet does not pose a significant public health risk, even a single nest can devastate honeybee populations.

In response, the government established the Asian Hornet Management Group (AHMG), chaired by the NPWS and involving the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the National Biodiversity Data Centre and the National Museum of Ireland. The group is tasked with coordinating monitoring, information gathering and eradication efforts.

However, O’Leochain argues that delays in destroying the first nest may already have allowed new queen hornets to emerge and prepare for hibernation.

“The number one aim should be destroying a nest. By late August, nests are already producing queens for the following season. Delays have most likely allowed time for queens to emerge, mate and get ready for hibernation,” he said.

At a meeting of Irish beekeepers on Friday, September 12, Dr. Michel Dugan of UCHG also criticised the lack of readiness.

“Despite having three years for monitoring and preparation, we were not ready. We had no PPE, no hornet suits, no traps, no technology. When traps were deployed, we lacked access to ‘Trappit,’ the most effective lure for the Asian Hornet, and instead relied on a homemade jam recipe. When experts arrived from Jersey, we had no equipment for them and no derogation licence for the tracking process.”

O’Leochain also criticised the use of triangulation, a method of tracking hornets by timing their flights between feeding stations and nests, as too slow. He argued that the more advanced Robor Nature tracking system, which costs around €2,400, could have located nests in hours rather than weeks.

“This greatly reduces the time needed for nests to produce new queens,” he said.

Beekeepers fear the invasion could devastate Ireland’s honey industry and wider biodiversity. O’Leochain warned that the impact would go far beyond honeybees.

“In France, honey production has halved where hornets are active. But this is not just about honeybees. Many of our wild pollinators [in Ireland] are already red-listed, and much of our wildlife depends on them. The knock-on effect could be massive for our biodiversity.”

Now, Irish beekeepers have begun organising their own response. Following the meeting on September 12, hundreds of beekeepers pledged to act as monitors and trappers.

Mr O’Leochain, a member of Swarms.ie, said the momentum has been remarkable: “There was a huge positive energy from the meeting. We set up a WhatsApp group for our Asian Hornet Response, which already has 242 members and four provincial sub-groups. We’ll be distributing traps through this network and recording the exact location of each monitoring station, which will be moved every few weeks. Most traps will be in the Cork area, but we’ll also have some at ports and as far north as Westmeath.”

The group has also launched a GoFundMe campaign. Mr O’Leochain personally donated €1,000, bringing the total to €1,610.

“We’ve received no government support or funding. This initiative has been born out of frustration at the lack of preparation or leadership on the Asian Hornet,” he said.