Killer Asian Hornets could soon be on the way to the UK mainland after reports of an increase in nests in Jersey.
This type of hornet can kill with one sting - if the victim has an allergic reaction to the venom - and they can kill up to 50 honey bees a day.
People on the island are on 'high alert' and a team has already located and destroyed 13 nests with queens inside.
This is already an increase from last year, which saw 12 nests in Jersey, as they battle for a fourth year to contain the spread of the potentially deadly pest.
Alastair Christie, Jersey's Asian hornet co-ordinator, told the Jersey Evening Post: "A lot of people are on high alert, which means the amount of reports is much higher than last year.
"So far we have had a total of 203 reported sightings of Asian hornets and of those, just 80 turned out to be a hornet – the rest were just wasps, bees and other pollinating insects.
"But while the increased amount of sightings is partly down to people being more aware, it is also undoubtedly due to the fact that there are more of them on the Island this year."
Because they are so damaging to UK wildfire and bee population, the British Beekeeping Association advises anyone who sees one to report it immediately.
They said: "Vespa velutina, sometimes known as the 'Asian hornet' is an invasive non-native species from Asia. If you find one you must report it.
"It arrived in France in 2004 and has spread rapidly. As a highly effective predator of insects, including honey bees and other beneficial species, it can cause significant losses to bee colonies, other native species and potentially ecosystems."
They are most common in the South of England, and active between April and November. You can report a sighting here.
