Native hornets mistakenly ‘persecuted’ as hostile species
NATIVE European hornets are being “persecuted” by gardeners who are mistaking them for their invasive Asian equivalent, a wildlife trust has warned.
Devon Wildlife Trust said people were exterminating the European hornet (Vespa crabro) after confusing them for the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina).
Unlike its home-grown equivalent, the Asian species is known to wreak havoc on honeybees, as the insects routinely raid and destroy colonies.
Confirmed reports of Asian hornets in Devon and Cornwall have fuelled concerns among beekeepers that the honeybee’s future is under threat.
Steve Hussey, a Devon Wildlife Trust spokesman, said: “European hornets are a beautiful and vital part of our environment. They help us by helping to keep in check many insect species that gardeners consider to be pests.
“European hornets are also struggling and their persecution is one of the factors behind this decline. Other countries are now urgently acting to conserve their hornets. We need to look after our native population, too.”
Since they were accidentally introduced to France in 2004, Asian hornets spread into Spain and were first spotted in Gloucestershire two years ago.
To date, there have been nine confirmed sightings in England and five nests have been destroyed by experts.
Bee inspectors use infrared cameras and traps to locate and destroy any nests that pose a risk to domestic bees.
The trust has stressed that people should follow the official guidelines on suspected cases and be aware of the threat of Asian hornets at all times.
It recommends that the public should carefully photograph the insect without disturbing the nest and then submit an online sighting report to the Non-native Species Secretariat.
“Our native hornets are slightly bigger, while Asian hornets tend to be smaller and a darker colour, not yellow. However, it is easy to be confused, so our advice is always to report suspected sightings of Asian hornets.”