Experts have warned a rising number of Asian hornets have been recorded in Jersey, sparking fears the species could be on its way to Britain.
Numbers have soared on the Channel Island between England and France, with figures more than three times what they were last year.
Around 469 Asian hornet have been recorded so far compared to 130 on the same date last year, according to John De Carteret, founder of the Jersey Asian Hornet Group.
Each nest has potential to hold several thousand hornets, meaning there could be millions in Jersey.
The Asian hornet poses a significant threat with their painful stings that can cause potentially deadly allergic reactions.
Mr De Carteret said the number of people being stung by the hornets in Jersey continues to rise.
According to the Daily Mail, he said: "The unrelentingly high number of Asian hornet reports from across the island continues to put tremendous pressure on the Jersey government's Asian hornet reporting system."
Mr De Carteret warned there is also a "backlog" on the island of nests needing to be treated.
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A map shows where the more than 400 nests have been recorded in Jersey so far
|FACEBOOK/JERSEY ASIAN HORNET GROUP
He added: "Combined efforts of the two government invasive species officers, along with professional pest controllers and volunteers, are trying to keep up with the sheer logistics of nest treatments."
The Asian Hornet, also known as Vespa velutina, was first spotted in Britain in 2016.
Sightings have mostly been recorded in the South East of England including Kent and East Sussex.
Experts have suggested the majority arrive into Britain via trucks and other vehicles or by flying across the channel.
Thousands of Asian hornets can be contained within one nest
|GETTY
Alongside their potentially fatal stings, the hornets can pose a risk to honey bee.
Just one Asian hornet can hunt and consume up to 50 bees in a day.
A typical nest of between 2,000 and 3,000 hornets meanwhile can eat more than 11kg of insects per season – which is around 90,000 bees.
A study published earlier this year by the University of Exeter found that the hornets had remnants of around 1,400 different species in their guts - with the most common being the European honeybee.
The invasive predators also consumed wasps, flies, beetles, butterflies, moths and spiders.
"Our study provides important additional evidence of the threat posed by Asian hornets as they spread across Europe," explained Dr Peter Kennedy, from Exeter's Environment and Sustainability Institute.
Although honey bees were found in all nests sampled as part of the research, it revealed their diet is much broader than previously believed.
Scientists identified 1,449 "operational taxonomic units" in the hornets' guts.
Asian hornets pose a threat to honeybees and other pollinators
|GETTY
More than half could be identified as specific species, though the exact number remains uncertain.
"Asian hornets are known to prey on honey bees, but until now the full range of their diet hasn't been tested," said Siffreya Pedersen, lead author on the study.
"The diet varied strongly over the seasons and between regions, showing that they are highly flexible predators."
The insects can be identified by their yellow legs and distinctive orange band on the fourth section of their bodies.
They typically measure around 25mm long.
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