Insect introduced

Local beekeepers worried about the killer hornet

The Asian hornet causes a lot of unrest

(Bild: APA/dpa/Axel Heimken)

It has no friends: we are talking about the Asian hornet, which is causing great concern among local beekeepers. The introduced insect was first spotted just outside Upper Austria, more precisely in Salzburg. Measures are now being taken to protect local bees.

Hum, hum! The Asian hornet stands out due to its particularly noisy flight. The species, which originates from South-East Asia, was first spotted in Europe in 2004 and has been spreading unstoppably ever since. Now the insect has reached Austria, having been spotted in Salzburg last week. The Upper Austrian Bee Center has issued a warning and is calling on the population to be vigilant and report sightings (link at bienenzentrum.at). This is because the Asian hornet is targeting native honey bees, hunting the nectar collectors as food for its own larvae. This causes considerable stress to the bee colonies and impairs their foraging.

Our diagram shows the differences between the two hornet species

(Bild: stock.adobe, Krone KREATIV)

Rapid reproduction
Once the invasive species has settled in a place, it multiplies rapidly. Within a year, their nests can reach a size of up to 10,000 individuals. A single colony produces up to 300 mated young queens, which build their own nests the following year, so it is understandable that beekeepers in particular take a close look to protect their bee colonies.

Do not catch or kill
Nevertheless, the AGES (Austrian Agency for Health and Food) recommends that the animals should not be caught or killed, as confusion with native species is possible. The most obvious difference between the flying immigrant and the native hornet is its color: While the latter is reddish-brown on the head, the species originating from Asia stands out due to its black coloration.