2 days ago
Ireland's beekeepers 'very concerned' Asian hornet could 'wreak havoc' on bee population
Beekeepers are worried the arrival of the Asian hornet into Ireland could 'wreak havoc' with the ecosystem if the public does not remain vigilant.
The discovery of the invasive insect in Cork this week sparked a biosecurity alert here. It is the second discovery ever of its kind in Ireland — the last sighting was in 2021.
The Asian hornet, also known as a yellow-legged hornet, poses a significant threat to biodiversity in Ireland, as even a single nest can devastate honeybee populations. However, it does not pose a significant public health risk.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has said it is working to establish how the insect got into the country, while traps have been placed close to where the insect was found on Tuesday.
Collette O'Connell, a third-generation beekeeper from Waterford, told RTÉ's Morning Ireland a single nest could devastate honey bees.
She described the insect as 'very beautiful' and much larger than our native wasps.
'It is dark black on its thorax and has a bright yellow face' she said. 'The segment on its abdomen is bright yellow — a mustard yellow. The bottom two thirds of its legs are again a bright yellow.'
She said the insect looks to feed off honey bees and beekeepers identify them easily because when they fly in front of a hive, 'the legs are splayed and it's like it has a yellow halo around it — we call that hawking.'
The NPWS was alerted when a member of the public saw the insect and recorded it on the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
Since then, traps have been placed all over the area, and the Beekeeper's Association has contacted local beekeepers with hives in the area in Cork.
'We know the preferred food of Asian hornets are honey bees,' said Ms O'Connell.
She said beekeepers were 'very concerned' about the arrival of the insect into Ireland 'because it is a carnivore, it is an apex predator — it will wreak havoc".
'We know from the [pollination preservation project] Atlantic-Positives research, it has wreaked havoc in Europe — they did a survey in 2020 of 400 beekeepers in France, Spain, and Portugal. They spent just under €800m to protect their bees, and it doesn't stop them.'
The Asian hornet insect caught this week is now being examined and the public is being encouraged to be vigilant when travelling to Ireland on the ferry or in the ports.
'They are very good at piggybacking on human transport,' said Ms O'Connell.
'People coming back on ferries, ports, and workers, familiarise yourself with the insect, and if you suspect an Asian hornet, please take a photo."
She also warned the public not to panic, as this could lead to 'good pollinators' being killed.
Members of the public are being asked to make contact with if they believe they have seen an Asian hornet and to take photos and mark the location of the alleged sighting.
