Under EU law, Ireland has a responsibility to manage the Asian hornet and eradicate it where possible.
The Asian hornet, or Vespa velutina nigrithorax, is listed as an Invasive Alien Species by the EU.
The EU says invasive species are a major threat to native plants and animals in Europe and are one of the five major causes of biodiversity loss.
It estimates the economic impact of invasive species to be around €12 billion per year to EU countries.
Since 2004, countries across Europe have been involved in a constant fight to manage and eradicate the Asian hornet, which has ravaged honeybee populations and provided a significant threat to biodiversity.
An average Asian hornet nest can consume over 11 kilograms of insects per year.
They have no natural predators and can have a significant damaging effect on biodiversity.
Honeybees make up 40% of their diet with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) saying a single Asian hornet nest can "devastate honeybee populations".
The sighting of an Asian hornet's nest in Cork this month led to the establishment of a new taskforce to gather information and monitor the situation.
The public has been asked to report suspected sightings to the National Biodiversity Data Centre while Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O'Sullivan said every sighting must be taken "very seriously".
EU member states are required to take action to avoid unintentional introduction of invasive species, take measures for the early detection and rapid eradication of invasive species and manage species that are already widely spread in their territory.
France
Asian hornets are associated with fuel wood, wood in the rough and ceramic pots.
The first Asian hornet is believed to have arrived in France in a shipment of pottery from China in 2004.
In 2012, France branded the insect a "tropical, invasive species harmful for apiculture", and in 2013 temporarily allowed their destruction with sulphur dioxide, a controversial and restricted chemical linked to respiratory problems.
In 2017, France launched a national strategy to combat invasive species.
Local French authorities distributed hornet traps to municipalities to help capture hornet queens.
However, populations continued to grow.
This year, the French Senate passed a framework aimed at curbing the proliferation of the Asian hornet population and preserving the beekeeping sector.
It agreed on national guidelines for combatting the species, including selective trapping and destruction actions.
The 24-page national plan includes specific information on the destruction of nests as well as spring trapping techniques and autumn protection measures.
It even provides recipes for sweet baits for hornets, including wine, beer and fruit syrup.
The French government provided funding for local authorities and health departments to lead public information campaigns and to fund research into effective and selective prevention systems.
It also allowed for compensation to be provided to beekeepers in the event of economic losses caused by the Asian hornet.
Some French prefectures, including the Loire region, have issued decrees obliging members of the public to immediately notify authorities upon noticing the presence of an Asian hornet.
Following the arrival of the Asian hornet to France more than two decades ago, the species has been sighted across Europe.
Spain, Italy and Netherlands involve beekeepers in the management of the species while Spain has developed a 60-page strategy for controlling hornet populations.
Britain
The first Asian hornets reached Britain in 2016.
There have been 182 confirmed sightings of Asian hornets since then, with 37 sightings confirmed this year, according to the UK's Environment Department.
The department says 119 nests have been found and destroyed.
While the hornets have been identified since 2016, the UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) noted a significant increase in the number of nests found and destroyed from 2023 onwards.
Between 2016 and 2022, the APHA's National Bee Unit (NBU) dealt with one or two sightings and nest finds each year.
In 2023, however, the number of nests found and destroyed increased significantly to 72.
The NBU has reported 266 credible sightings this year alone, with 74 nests found.
This increase in sightings led the UK to employ "spring queen trapping" as an updated tactic to eradicate and monitor the species.
Last year, it deployed over 600 traps in high-risk "hotspot" areas and conducted over 14,000 checks by 60 inspectors.
The trapping resulted in the capture of 13 Asian hornet queens.
The English and Welsh governments published a contingency plan in 2023 to tackle the Asian hornet, which it calls yellow-legged Asian hornets.
It outlines responsibilities of beekeepers and beekeeping associations in disseminating information and working closely with authorities and outlines specific actions to be taken following a credible Asian hornet sighting.
The Scottish government published its plan last year.
US
Asian hornets were first detected in the US in Washington state in late 2019.
However, the Asian hornet species identified was the northern giant hornet, or Vespa mandarinia, a larger more destructive species than the Vespa velutina which has been sighted in Ireland.
This larger hornet has been dubbed the "murder hornet".
However, late last year, the US Department of Agriculture announced that this giant hornet species had been fully eradicated from the US.
"We are proud of this landmark victory in the fight against invasive species," said Dr Mark Davidson Deputy Administrator of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
The eradication effort involved extensive collaboration between state, federal, and international government agencies as well as "significant support from community members and groups", Washington state's agriculture department said.
"Without the public's support for this effort, it is unlikely we would be announcing the eradication of northern giant hornet today," Sven Spichiger, WSDA pest programme manager, said.
WSDA said it found and eradicated a single hornet nest in October 2020 and three nests in August and September 2021.
It continued state and public trapping efforts through 2024.
After three years without confirmed detections, WSDA and USDA confirmed the hornet had been fully eradicated from Washington and the US.
Read more: Asian hornet would be 'foot and mouth' for Irish bees
