A single swarm of Asian hornets can eat hundreds of bees every day. Now the six-legged killer was first discovered in Salzburg. The beekeepers are in turmoil.
He had a watchful eye and made a very special discovery. A man recently discovered an unusual-looking insect on the grounds of the Christian Doppler Clinic. He captured the animal and laboratory analyzes confirmed his initial suspicions. It was an Asian hornet (“Vespa velutina”). It is the first confirmed sighting in all of Austria.
This premiere is no reason to celebrate: the introduced insect poses a huge threat to native bees. “The hornets are literally hunting them. A single swarm can eat hundreds of bees every day,” says Andreas Brieger, state chairman of the Salzburg Beekeepers Association. Furthermore, the Asian hornet reproduces much faster than its native counterparts. “There are now huge problems with the Vespa Velutina in France. In some areas, beekeeping has come to a complete standstill,” says Brieger.
What gives hope: The hornet found in Salzburg was a queen. Brieger: “It’s good that we caught them. Otherwise the animal would now be building a nest. Then we would have a real problem in the summer.” Perhaps the most dangerous thing about the Asian hornet is the fact that the entire beekeeping industry could come to a standstill “if we don’t act correctly,” says state master beekeeper Thomas Renner. . Why? Because this animal needs a huge amount of protein to reproduce, it gets this by eating bees.
In the coming days, the beekeepers association plans to set up live traps in the area of the Doppler clinic. The goal is to find out if there is actually just one Asian hornet causing mischief here. The state of Salzburg will bear the costs.
Citizens must report sightings of the Asian hornet
Beekeepers are relying on the public’s help in the fight against bee killers from Asia. Anyone can report a sighting in an unbureaucratic manner on the Internet (www.bienengesundheit.at).
What does the Vespa Velutina look like? It is almost the same size as the native hornet, but has a distinctive black belly and yellow leg tips. “We have to take the matter seriously, but there is no reason to panic,” Brieger emphasizes. Because: Unlike bees, the Asian hornet is no more dangerous to humans than its domestic counterpart.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
