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There have been various reports of hornets and hornet nests in Co. Cork in recent weeks, but experts have said that misinformation has led to fearmongering about the number of nests and actual dangers.

In fact, after much investigation into the alleged sightings, experts have confirmed that there was only one nest discovered, of which the hornet population inside will be destroyed.

In addition, they have urged the public to avoid purchasing devices such as hornet traps to catch the species, for one very important reason, despite advice from other associations suggesting otherwise.

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Speaking on the Neil Prendeville show on Thursday morning, Ainle Ni Bhriain, Director of International and EU affairs at the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said there is no evidence of any other hornet nests other than the one that was found in Cork city last month.

The nest discovery was subsequent to a sighting and capture of what was confirmed to be an Asian hornet, triggering the establishment of the Asian Hornet Management Group, chaired by the NPWS.

While there have been reports of further sightings, Ms Ni Bhriain has said that these are not indicative of another nest, and there is no reason for the public to be alarmed or panicked.

"We have one confirmed nest," Ms Ni Bhriain explained.

"We have no evidence that there is any other nest, as such. A nest would be a much bigger thing. There could be, you know, several hundred animals.

"There have been sightings, but as I said NWPS is following up on every single sighting."

She explained that the confirmed nest will be removed with as little damage to it as possible, remarking that "we can learn so much from it." The nest will be taken to the National Museum of Ireland where it will undergo DNA testing and experts will hopefully be able to understand where the hornet population originated from and what stage of development the nest was at.

Members of the public who believe they encounter an Asian hornet are advised to not approach or attempt to capture it, but to report it to the National Biodiversity Data Centre with a photograph if possible.

It is also important to note that the hornets don't generally pose a dangerous threat to people, but as an invasive species it could cause detrimental harm to Ireland agriculturally.

While naturally people are fearful of the creatures, the public have been warned against taking matters into their own hands, as it could be detrimental to local biodiversity.

Ms Ni Bhriain advised against the purchase of hornet traps as the devices will also attract other species like bees, the very insect that wildlife organisations are working tirelessly to protect.

Bees are vital to biodiversity as they are pollinators and play a very important role in the food chain, and subsequently agricultural activities in Ireland.

When asked about the impact of the hornets on Ireland's bee population, Ms Ni Bhriain said that Asian Hornets pose an immediate threat, as she explained: "If you really want to see the gory footage, there is footage online where you see a hornet coming up to a bee and literally biting it in half, they feed on pollinators."

So, while hornets are detrimental to bees, the traps that people are using to catch them could be more of a threat to Irish bees than the hornets themselves at this time.