There’s a sinister predator going after Britain’s bees. Since vespa velutina, aka Asian hornets, were first spotted in the UK nearly 10 years ago, they’ve been feasting on our poor, innocent honey-making friends and putting Britain’s biodiversity at risk.
Last year, Asian hornets successfully survived winter in the UK for the first time and now experts are worried that their numbers could surge even higher.
Here’s everything you need to know about the invasive species this summer, and how you can help protect our beloved bees
What is an Asian hornet?
They’re flying black and yellow striped insects that measure nearly one inch long. While they have a nasty sting, Asian hornets aren’t generally dangerous to humans (in very rare cases they can cause fatal anaphylactic shock) but they do pose a threat to honey bees and British biodiversity.
The ‘aggressive predators’ can eat up to 50 bees a day, chopping them into little pieces and feeding them to their young. They eat a bunch of other flying insects, too. If left to their own devices, they have the ability to kill 90,000 pollinating insects in one season. They have already altered the biodiversity in certain regions of France
When did Asian hornets first appear in the UK?
The species is believed to have accidentally arrived in Europe in 2004 on a cargo of pottery travelling from China to France. The first sighting of an Asian hornet in the UK was more than a decade later in 2016.
Why has there been an increase this year?
Experts say that the rise of the hornets here is down to the dry and sunny weather we’ve been having. There were ‘unprecedented’ early sightings recorded on the Crown Dependency of Jersey. By April 11, 262 queen Asian hornets had been recorded on the island, which is a year-on-year increase of 1,090 percent, according to the Jersey Asian Hornet Group.
Only two have been sighted in the UK so far (in Shropshire and Kent). But Ian Campbell, of the British Beekeepers Association, told the Guardian: ‘There’s a strong risk of this year’s numbers being at least as high as in 2023 and the potential to be even higher. It would be a surprise if numbers were not above the 2024 level.’
If you spy an Asian hornet in the wild, you can protect Britain’s bees by reporting it via this app.
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