Asian Hornets are a threat to all insect species that will provide a sizable protein package to feed to its larvae which only feed on proteins. The hornet seizes its prey and dismembers it, taking the thorax containing all the main muscle groups to the nest. In the early spring and summer it takes all species it can find but in later summer and autumn will concentrate its efforts on predating honey bees from hives as this prey can be found in large numbers at the hive entrance. Presumably the high demand for food from the large numbers of larvae in the huge nest Asian Hornet builds drives the Hornet to predate honey bees, which are, after all, kept in easily found larders in apiaries.
Information coming from experts on the continent lead us to believe that the Asian Hornet's predation on species apart from Apis Mellifera is leading to severe decline in those species in areas where AH is now prolific. The effect is to cause problems for fruit growers who rely on those pollinating species for good crops from their trees, bushes and plants. Gardeners who also rely on theses pollinators will also be affected by this decline in species.
Even if the threat to honey bees was greater than the threat to other pollinators this is no excuse to do nothing to prevent a species which naturally belongs in Asian becoming endemic in a country where it has no natural predators. This is what happened with grey squirrels, american crayfish and a number of other animal and plant species that have become endemic to the detriment of our native fauna and flora.
Good education of the public is needed so that the public can be aware of and properly identify AH. Observation and reporting are the key to dealing with AH ,in the first instance to prevent it becoming established, and secondly, if that effort fails to containment and management to prevent it becoming a nuisance pest with its associated danger to the general public
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Information coming from experts on the continent lead us to believe that the Asian Hornet's predation on species apart from Apis Mellifera is leading to severe decline in those species in areas where AH is now prolific. The effect is to cause problems for fruit growers who rely on those pollinating species for good crops from their trees, bushes and plants. Gardeners who also rely on theses pollinators will also be affected by this decline in species.
Even if the threat to honey bees was greater than the threat to other pollinators this is no excuse to do nothing to prevent a species which naturally belongs in Asian becoming endemic in a country where it has no natural predators. This is what happened with grey squirrels, american crayfish and a number of other animal and plant species that have become endemic to the detriment of our native fauna and flora.
Good education of the public is needed so that the public can be aware of and properly identify AH. Observation and reporting are the key to dealing with AH ,in the first instance to prevent it becoming established, and secondly, if that effort fails to containment and management to prevent it becoming a nuisance pest with its associated danger to the general public