An invasive hornet is devouring bees across Europe, alarming beekeepers
The head of the Bavarian Institute for Bee Research and Beekeeping in Veitshochheim near Wurzburg and other beekeepers in the southern German state are targeting the Asian hornet.
The invasive species has been spreading across Western Europe since it was inadvertently shipped to France more than two decades ago.
Besides posing a significant threat to local bees, the Asian hornet is also causing massive damage to ripe fruit including in France and Portugal.
In 2023, Bavarian beekeepers reported nests of the insects in five locations. Last year, they identified 30 nests. So far this year, five nests have already been found in Bavaria.
"The trend is rising, and the problem is simple: this insect eats our bees and has no natural predators here," Berg explains.
The alien bee, known scientifically as Vespa velutina, originates from South-East Asia. It positions itself in front of the entrance to beehives and captures its prey there.
In response, the bees leave their hives less frequently.
A biologist holds an Asian hornet, an invasive species that is threatening beekeepers and fruit farmers in Western Europe. — AXEL HEIMKEN/dpa
Fewer flights, less honey
Fewer flights to collect pollen, in turn, lead to reduced honey production by the colonies.
"That is, of course, not what beekeepers want," Berg says.
With great effort, Bavarian beekeepers search for the Asian hornet so that its nests can later be destroyed by conservation authorities.
"Finding the nests is easier said than done. It costs beekeepers many hours," Berg says. When they spot an Asian hornet, they catch it and mark it.
They then try to follow the insect. Sometimes, beekeepers also use thermal imaging cameras or equip the captured predators with expensive transmitters, which they track using directional antennas.
All sightings of the Asian hornet are recorded on a reporting platform.
Bees fly across a meadow heading for the entrance to their hive.
Introduced into Europe in 2004
The Asian hornet is not only a problem for beekeepers, Berg and his fellow beekeeper Simon Nuschele agree.
"You can see it in France, where the insect is already widespread. They are currently working on a national control plan," Berg said. Up to 75% of ripe fruit in France is reportedly damaged by the Asian hornet.
In fact, the Asian hornet was accidentally introduced into Europe via a shipment from east Asia to France in 2004, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), a British-based wildlife conservation charity.
It has since spread rapidly across France and invaded neighbouring countries from there.
According to Britain's National Bee Unit, the invasive species is "established" in France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and the island territory of Jersey in the English Channel as of December 2023.
In Portugal, some food markets have already stopped displaying fruit and vegetables due to the high number of hornets feeding on them.
In France, the Asian hornet "has consumed large numbers of bees, including the well-known European honey bee and many lesser-known solitary and colonial bee species," the RSPB says, warning of the impact to the local ecosystem in which pollinating bees play a key role.
Bracing for the storm
Nuschele, an experienced Bavarian beekeeper presiding over 60 colonies in the honey village of Seeg in the Ostallgau region, is enjoying the calm before the storm.
"I am keeping my eyes open, but the Asian hornet has not yet reached the Allgau," says the 67-year-old, who also leads tours at the local interactive beekeeping centre.
"However, I have no doubt that this will change soon," he adds, standing in a field of dandelion blossoms at the centre, holding a honeycomb in his hand.
He cannot predict the extent of the damage the Asian hornet might cause to the bee colonies in Seeg, he says. However, it has been proven that the entire colony's survival is at risk when the invasive species is found outside the hive entrance.
Dealing with the Asian hornet will not be easy in the future, Berg and Nuschele agree. "But we will have to live with the hornet, I fear. At the moment, there is no solution," Nuschele says. – By ANNE-SOPHIE SCHUHWERK/dpa
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