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Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe public is being urged to continue to be vigilant following further sightings of Asian hornets in Northern Ireland. <\/p>\n An Asian hornet was captured in the Dundonald area<\/a> of Belfast on Friday 10 October by a member of the public.<\/p>\n The further sightings, also in the Dundonald area, were confirmed by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) on Wednesday. <\/p>\n The NIEA said this suggests the existence of a nest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The NIEA said officials are now moving to employ “track and trace” methods to establish the location of, and remove, any potential nest in the area.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Individual hornets and nests have been increasingly recorded in southern counties of England, while two nests were found and destroyed in County Cork earlier this summer<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Speaking following the discovery of the initial Asian hornet in Dundonald, the Environment Minister Andrew Muir said: “This is a harmful species that I do not wish to see becoming established in Northern Ireland as it presents a serious threat to both biosecurity and local ecology, particularly valuable pollinating insects.”<\/p>\n The NIEA said the “public is urged to be vigilant and report any suspect insects, ideally with a photograph,” to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhat is an Asian hornet?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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