Asian hornet sightings spark persecution of European species in UK

Cases occurred after confirmed reports of invasive species feared as threat to honeybee

Steven Morris

Wed 3 Oct 2018 12.16 BSTLast modified on Thu 4 Oct 2018 10.07 BST

A British wildlife charity has warned that a spate of bad news stories about the invasive Asian hornet is leading to the persecution of its home-grown equivalent.

Devon Wildlife Trust said it has come across cases of people exterminating the European hornet (Vespa crabro) thinking it was the troublesome Asian hornet (Vespa velutina).

Asian hornets are devastating to honeybees, with the insects raiding and destroying colonies. There is growing fear among British beekeepers that the presence of Asian hornets threatens the future of the honeybee.

Confirmed reports of Asian hornet nests in Devon and Cornwall have fuelled concerns. But the trust believes that fears over the arrival of the Asian hornet are leading to the misguided persecution of the native European hornet.

Its spokesman, Steve Hussey, said: “We’ve had several people telling us that they think they have an Asian hornet nest on their property and asking can they destroy it? Other people have told us that they have already gone ahead and destroyed nests, suspecting them of belonging to Asian hornets, but where we’ve been able to do further investigation all the cases have proved to be European hornets and not the invasive species.

“This is really unfortunate. European hornets are a beautiful and vital part of our environment. They also help us by helping to keep in check many insect species that gardeners consider to be pests.”

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Pitcher plant in France eats bee-killing Asian hornets

10 August 2015 

Bee-killing Asian hornets spreading across Europe now face a natural enemy that lures them to destruction - a carnivorous North American plant, French experts say.

The head of a botanical garden in Nantes, western France, says the pitcher plant Sarracenia devours Asian hornets - but not European hornets. Nor does it eat bees or wasps.

Romaric Perrocheau recently found a Sarracenia stem full of dead hornets.

Asian hornets are a menace to beehives.

Mr Perrocheau, quoted by AFP news agency, said Sarracenia had "invented a very selective trap" for the aggressive Asian hornets.

The hornets are apparently attracted by Sarracenia's nectar and pheromones on the plant's tubular leaves. Once the hornet crawls inside the rim at the top it easily slips and plunges into the pitcher, to be digested by the plant's juices.

The trap appears to be a European adaptation, as Asian hornets do not exist in Sarracenia's native Massachusetts, in the eastern US. The plant can be grown easily in Europe and is not considered a threat to native flora.

Mr Perrocheau and an entomologist aim to study the contents of 200 pitchers, hoping to identify the chemical secret of their attraction for Asian hornets.

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Swarms of 'angry' killer Asian hornets heading to Britain

Swarms of vicious Asian hornets with a nasty sting in their tail are heading across the Channel from France to Britain, according to reports.

According to the Daily Mail, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) warns the hornets could spread over the UK throughout September.

A DEFRA statement said these "invasive and predatory" insects have "spread very quickly to many areas of France where it is reported to be causing many problems for both beekeepers and biodiversity in the country. The hornet can predate on bee colonies, causing significant harm."

The bee-eating invaders, which can grow up to 1.2 inches long, are a threat to UK wildlife - preying on wasps and other pollinators as well as honeybees - and perhaps even human health, warns a recent report from the European Environment Agency (EEA).

The Asian hornet - distinguishable by its dark colour and yellow feet - has already invaded France, almost wiping out its bee population and attacking humans.

It is thought the species arrived in south western France from the Far East in a shipment of Chinese pottery in late 2004.

They settled in the Aquitaine area, but spread rapidly along the waterways. Their arrival in Britain was predicted by Franck Muller of the Museum of National History in Paris back in February 2011, when he told the Daily Telegraph they would cross into Britain within "three to four years".

Over the past few years, several attacks on humans have been reported. In 2009, hundreds of the insects attacked a mother out walking with her five-month old baby in the Lot-et-Garonne department, before turning on a neighbour who ran over to help. They then pursued two passers-by and two Dutch tourists on bikes.

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