Firefighters are closing roads and using a 104-foot crane after a huge Asian hornet nest was discovered in the treetop

A huge Asian hornet nest had to be removed with the help of firefighters and a 104ft crane after it was discovered in a treetop.

The deadly structure is the largest ever discovered in Guernsey as the invasive species threatens to take hold.

But the Channel Island’s top Asian Hornet team was able to track the killer insects to their nest in the giant oak tree using strategically placed bait stations.

The fire department then deployed its largest turntable ladder, which can reach up to 32 meters above the ground – more than seven times the height of a double-decker bus.

The entire road had to be closed to vehicles and pedestrians because it was so close to a number of coastal bathing spots near La Vallette – close to the capital Saint Peter Port.

Francis Russell, Asian Hornet Strategy Coordinator, said: “We are very grateful for the professional support we have received from the GFRS and Civil Protection.”

The fire and rescue service used their largest turntable ladder, which can reach up to 32 meters above the ground – more than seven times the height of a double-decker bus

The deadly structure is the largest ever discovered in Guernsey as the invasive species threatens to take hold

“Without their help and expertise, we would not have been able to access this nest and safely remove it.”

The group has found nine nests and removed five in the last month.

There are currently plans to remove the remaining few – but they are particularly challenging due to their locations.

The island is now in a race against time as it faces the threat of inundation by invasive species.

Mr Russell continued: “As autumn approaches, the race to remove all Asian hornet nests across the island begins.”

“Leaving nests in place and not urgently treating them will trigger the production of a new generation of queens, with a large secondary nest capable of producing up to 300-500 queens.”

“These would then hibernate on the island over the winter, which would cause further problems the following year.”

The aggressive predator poses a major threat to Britain’s biodiversity – with honeybees making up 30 percent of its diet.

This means the alien species could have devastating effects on pollinating insects and beekeeping.

The insects have a characteristic velvety black or dark brown color throughout, while the abdominal segments are covered with fine yellow bands and the final section is almost entirely yellow.

The hornets can kill allergy sufferers with one sting, but they also pose a threat to the environment and native species.

The species can also be more aggressive than native insects.

Asian hornets were spotted in London for the first time at the end of August and there have been a worrying 46 sightings since 2016, half of them this year alone, according to figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Just this week, a horrific Asian hornet’s nest measuring approximately 15 inches was found in Jersey.

It is the largest discovered on Britain’s ‘frontline’ and sparked a new warning to the public.

It was hanging from the ceiling of an abandoned house in St Brelades on the Channel Islands and was destroyed on August 14th.

The insect is believed to have arrived on the UK coast in 2016 in Tetby, Gloucestershire.

Since then there have been sightings in Somerset, Devon, Lancashire, Cornwall, Yorkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Kent, Staffordshire, Dorset, Berkshire, Essex, Suffolk, Northumberland and East Sussex.

They prey on honeybees and therefore pose a major threat to honeybee populations in the UK.