Wildlife and local beekeepers around Salford and the UK are being impacted significantly the invasive Asian Hornets
The hornets, also known as the yellow-legged hornet is native to Southeast Asia and arrived in France in a cargo of pottery from China 20 years ago and is rapidly spreading across the continent.
Agriculture and important pollinators in the community are being targeted by a growing number of Asian hornets – high level of concern growing due to their main prey being honeybees.
It is known that the Asian Hornet can kill up to 50 bees a day and has devastated colonies in France and Italy.
The damage from the hornets is already known to have caused up to 30 million euros worth of damage to the honey industry at present.
And with the hornet being first spotted in the UK in 2016 with regular sightings largely in Kent and East Sussex.
However, concern for Salford wildlife and beekeepers has now grown with a hornet being spotted in Bury on the head of a cauliflower.
There has been a rapid response to destroy hornets and their nests to stop the spread in Britain.
Local Beekeeper, Dan Cook from Dan and the Bees Said: “Once the hornet arrives the only thing you can do is track it, trace it back to its nest and then destroy the nest.
“But they repopulate at such as fast rate that unless you devote a tun of resources to do it you’re in a losing battle.”
“Once they start moving up the country in warm weather it’s like wildfire.”
Dan continued to share the precautions that he is taking to protect both his business and colonies, he said: “I am preparing at the minute.
“I think it’s very important to highlight so that beekeepers don’t stick their heads in the sand because the rate at which these can move is frightening.”
In preparation efforts, Dan has placed traps around his property and colonies, as well as designing protective screens for his hives.
He added: “I’ll add them to my colonies, which is an added cost, but when compared to the cost of replacing a colony and losing out on a honey crop its worthwhile doing it.”
The hornets will also prey on a wide range of flies, wasps, bees, butterflies, moths, spider’s common wasps, as well as the honeybees.
Europe’s top three crop pollinators- the honeybee, buff-tailed bumblebee and the red-tailed bumblebee were all found among the top 50 prey species identified.
Researchers from the University of Exeter carried out genetic analysis “deep sequencing” to identify the prey species in the guts of more than 1,500 hornet larvae across Jersey, France, Spain and the UK.
The study’s lead author Siffreya Pedersen said: “Insects play vital roles in enabling ecosystems to function- including pollination, decomposition and pest control.”
“Most insect populations are in decline due to factors such as a habitat destruction and chemical pollution and the expanding area inhabited by Asian hornets poses an extra threat.”
The study highlights the potential impact on agriculture, with 43 of the 50 most common species in the hornet’s diet are known to visit flowers.
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