The head of a beekeeping association in eastern Austria has admitted he is “concerned” about the appearance of Asian hornets in the region.
The invasive species, which eats honeybees and other insects, has reportedly arrived in Hungary. Austria borders the country in the east.
Apiarist Herbert Grafl from the small town of Schattendorf told broadcaster ORF: “The Asian hornet has been spotted in Hungary, around 20 or 30 kilometres (12 to 19 miles) from the border. This is a concern.”
Speaking about the predatory insect’s capabilities, the president of the Beekeepers Burgenland Union explained: “The Asian hornets hover in front of the hive entrances. When the bees come back home, they grab them.”
He added: “The Asian hornets take them to their nest to eat them there.”
Herbert said he expected the species to invade Burgenland in spring.
The insect, which is also known as Vespa velutina, presumably arrived in Europe with cargo from Southeast Asia 19 years ago. Over the years, its habitat on the continent has quickly expanded.
Experts in Guernsey, where the first reports about Asian hornets date back to 2017, warn: “The Asian hornet is a non-native invasive species and an aggressive predator of many types of insect.”
They emphasise: “On average, 30 per cent of its diet is made up of honeybees. The Asian hornet is therefore a major threat to our biodiversity, pollinating insects and beekeeping activities.”
Anyone seeing what could be an Asian hornet is advised to inform their regional conservation authority.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the government of Burgenland has ensured that its environment department was closely monitoring the situation.
The region’s beekeepers have been informed that the authority would cover the costs for any Asian hornet nest removals.
