Dangerous Asian Hornets Spotted In Kent
Britain is home is dozens of invasive species. These include things like the American bullfrog, grey squirrel, and sacred Ibis. There are also dozens of invasive insect species. Some of these are quite dangerous and also destructive. For example, Asian hornets are now causing considerable headaches for certain sectors. Some were spotted in Folkestone in April – most likely they had hopped across on the ferry from France.
What the public needs to know about Asian hornets
The reason why Asian hornets are considered dangerous is basically because they hunt and attack honeybees. These hornets are extremely aggressive and territorial. Upon encountering honeybees, they will immediately go after them. The bees, unfortunately, are not very good at fighting back, and are quickly killed.
Yes, according to beekeepers, a handful of Asian hornets can destroy a nest of honey bees numbering in the thousands. As you can imagine, this is extremely alarming. These invasive pests pose a huge threat to the local beekeeping industry. Note that this doesn’t only include the production of honey. Bees also produce beeswax which is used by many industries. For example, this substance is used to make candles, paint, and polish. Also, believe it or not, beeswax is sometimes used during surgery.
These hornets also pose a threat to the ecology of Britain. As you know, bees are extremely important, because they pollinate crops and flowers. Without these insects, it’s possible that we may face ecological collapse, or food shortages.
Are these insects dangerous for humans?
Finally, these Asian hornets are also extremely dangerous to humans. Like wasps they are aggressive and attack humans which is why we need insect control. The problem here is that their stingers are larger than wasps, and this makes their stings far more serious. In fact, dozens of people all over Europe have been hospitalised because of these pests. Along with this, several people have been killed after being stung by these hornets. This includes a farmer in France, and a man pruning apple trees in Spain.
As you can see, this is an extremely serious situation. But what can we the public do about these pests? First of all, you need to know how to spot them. These pests that attack basically appear similar to wasps. They have the black and yellow colouring, except that they are larger. They also have yellow legs
If you do spot one of these hornets, then it’s recommended that you contact the authorities immediately for safe pest control. The best way to do this is by searching for the Asian hornet app online. You can also Google “Asian Hornet Watch” to find this. The app contains more information about these pests. It will also help you do identify them better. Most importantly, it allows you to record your sightings and forward them to the relevant authorities. Once this is done, further action can be taken.