Agriculture & Horticulture

The States of Alderney has a small Agricultural Team as part of States Works.

The team provides a range of services including general gardening, grounds maintenance and green-keeping at a range of sites across the Island. They also care for the upkeep of many public areas including footpaths, beach headlands and green lanes as well as public spaces such as St Anne's Churchyard and Memorial Garden, Victoria Street and the Nunnery Heritage Site. The team also carry out pest control as well as emptying the dog bins.

Please find further guidance here:

• Asian Hornet

  • The first known sighting of an Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) in Alderney was in 2017. Asian hornets have spread through Europe after arriving in Southern France in a consignment of pottery in 2004.

    The Asian hornet is an aggressive predator of many types of insect but on average 30% of its diet is made up of honeybees. The Asian hornet is therefore a major threat to our biodiversity, pollinating insects, and beekeeping activities. The States of Alderney is encouraging anyone who thinks they have seen an Asian hornet or found an Asian hornet nest to report it to Agriculture Team:  swd@alderney.gov.gg   01481 822408

    What do Asian hornets look like?
    Asian hornets have a distinctive velvety black/dark brown thorax. The abdomen is also black/brown with the abdominal segments bordered with a fine yellow band, only the fourth abdominal segment is almost entirely a yellow-orange. The legs are black/brown with yellow ends and the head is black with an orange-yellow face. A typical worker hornet is approximately 22mm (1 inch) in length. For more information please see the "Asian hornet ID" sheet published by the French National History Museum available to download below, which also provides details of similar species which are often mistaken for Asian hornet and photographs of an Asian hornet nest.

    What do I do if I think I've seen an Asian hornet?
    Anyone who thinks they have seen an Asian hornet is asked to photograph the insect if possible, note the location and watch it long enough to determine the direction of travel as this may be helpful in locating a nest. ACLMS is mapping Asian hornet sightings to help in the search for nest sites, so providing an accurate location with your sighting is very helpful. Nests are most commonly found high up in trees, although may also be found attached to or in buildings. Please report the location of any insect or nest found to ACLMS (tel: 822408, or email swd@alderney.gov.gg). 

    It is not urgent that a nest is destroyed immediately, but it must remain undisturbed whilst plans are made by the States of Alderney for the safest way for it to be destroyed by a nominated pest controller. Confirmed sightings will be vital to help us find nests and eradicate the Asian Hornet from Alderney.

    Please note this is not to be confused with the Mandarin or Giant Asian hornet (Vespa mandarinia) which is very much larger and is found in China. It has not been found in the UK or Europe.

    Spring Queening
    The Asian Hornet Strategy aims to keep the population of Asian hornets as low as possible. The first step is a comprehensive island wide programme to trap queen Asian hornets as they emerge from hibernation in the spring - so called the "Spring Queening" project. Trapping these queens before they have the opportunity to raise their young and build huge nests will be the main priority. A large nest can hold 5,000 hornets which will cause significant harm to our native insect populations, and could pose a public health risk if the nest were to be accidentally disturbed. Householders and landowners will be asked to volunteer to put up and monitor a trap on their land. For more information please contact the Agriculture Team (tel: 822408, or email swd@alderney.gov.gg). 

    Asian Hornet ID Sheet

• Noxious Weeds

  • Noxious weeds can be poisonous to humans or livestock and are able to reproduce very rapidly to the detriment of other species.
    
    The Noxious Weeds Law (Amendment) (Alderney) Ordinance, 2003 states that an occupier of land must not allow noxious weeds that are in flower or seed to grow on that land. 
    
    The noxious weeds specified in the law are:
    
    Common Ragwort
    All parts of the plant are highly poisonous and become more poisonous when dried
    Commonly found in poorly managed grassland, hedge banks and wasteland  

• Pesticides

  • Professional pesticide products can only be stored, purchased and applied by individuals who hold a recognised qualification in pesticide application.

    When using pesticides ALWAYS READ THE LABEL: USE PESTICIDES SAFELY AND AWAY FROM PONDS AND STREAMS.

    Continuing changes in the pesticide regulations, have led to the withdrawal of many garden pesticides. Some have been withdrawn for safety or environmental reasons but many more for commercial reasons.

    Pesticides are designed to kill and control pests, weeds and fungi. However, they can also kill or discourage the wildlife you want to attract to your garden, including the predators that eat pests.
    
    The States of Alderney are making a conscious effort to reduce the amount of pesticides that are used on island by introducing a more structured approach to how we manage our gully's, verges and roadsides.
    
    There are two people within States Works that have the relevant qualifications for the safe use and storage of pesticides.
    
    Please contact 822408, or email swd@alderney.gov.gg if you require further information on the choice or application of pesticides.

• Ash Dieback

  • Ash dieback or Chalara dieback is a serious fungal disease that only affects Ash trees.

    It first emerged in Poland in the early 1990's but has spread rapidly across Europe into the UK and has unfortunately been found in several sites across Alderney. The disease has spread primarily via wind-blown spores which are known to travel up to 30km from an infected tree, and the movement in trade of infected plant material which is why the import of Ash trees into Alderney has been restricted since 2012.

    Younger trees are likely to succumb to the disease first and older trees can often survive for longer but it is likely that we will eventually lose the majority of our Ash trees. International efforts are underway to find resistant strains of Ash trees so that they can be reintroduced in future.

    Further advice on the identification and management of Ash dieback can be obtained by contacting ashdieback@gov.gg

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