‘A new strategy is needed’: Yorkshire beekeepers call for more resources to tackle threat of Asian hornetThought to have arrived in France in 2004, carried over from China in a box of ceramics, the Asian hornet has caused major disruption to honey production in its journey across Europe.
According to Portugal’s National Federation of Beekeepers, honey production in the north and centre of the country has fallen by over 35 per cent in recent years due to the spread of the species, which is said to be able to hunt down and kill up to 50 honey bees per day.
In France, it is estimated that the loss of bee colonies brought on by the Asian hornet could cost the French economy £26.4m every year.
Also known as the yellow-legged hornet, the species is not only a predator to honeybees, but also other native pollinator species including bumblebees and hoverflies. Its spread, therefore, not only poses an economic risk, but also a risk to the wider European ecosystem.
Last year, the number of Asian hornets seen across the UK skyrocketed. After 2022 saw one confirmed Asian hornet captured and one nest destroyed, 2023 saw 72 nests discovered across 56 locations, including two in Yorkshire..
While numbers this year appear to have dropped, with 23 nests so far discovered, beekeepers in Yorkshire are calling for more power to be given to those combating the spread of the invasive species.
“What happens when an Asian hornet discovers a hive of honeybees is that it will hawk them, waiting outside to swoop on the bees as they emerge,” said Phil Khorassandjian, a Sheffield-based master beekeeper and former bee inspector who runs multiple apiaries.
“The bees emerging from the hive become aware of this, so they just hang around the entrance and won't come out. That means they can’t forage and can’t develop the colony.”
While the vast majority of Asian hornets have been discovered in south east England, Khorassandjian believes it is only a matter of time before the species comes further north.
Earlier this year, two East Riding of Yorkshire councillors, Councillor Jonathan Owen and Councillor Kevin Casson, called for more to be done to raise awareness about Asian hornets after two nests were discovered in Hull the year prior.
Speaking at the time, Coun Owen said: “Asian hornets prey on honey bees and they seriously disrupt the ecological role they provide. It has altered the biodiversity in the regions of France where it is present and it can be a health risk to those who have allergies to hornet or wasp stings.”
It is thought that through a single year, one Asian hornet nest is able to release around 300 queens, and three times as many male hornets.
Khorassandjian also fears that should the Asian hornet become established, it would lead to a loss of artisanal honey produced by small-scale beekeepers.
“Commercial beekeepers are unlikely to give up because it's their livelihood, and we can assume they have the investment to protect themselves,” he said.
“But amateur, or part-time beekeepers, might just say ‘it's too much to deal with’, and so a lot of artisanal honey which is on offer might disappear.”
Khorassandjian also noted that due to bee inspectors being used to search for the Asian hornet, other diseases which affect bee hives may become more prolific.
“When we look at the number of disease, they’re going down,” he said, “but they’re not going down because they are less prevalent, they’re just not being found because inspectors are busy handling hornets.”
He believes that with a relatively small amount of investment from the Government, much more could be done to combat the species.
“At the moment, the strategy depends on someone saying they’ve seen one and either stamping on it or getting it in a jam jar or reporting it. We could be a lot more proactive,” he said.
“A new strategy is needed. We could have scouts scouring the area where a nest is found. Ultimately it's about getting more people.”
Peter Minchin, another Yorkshire beekeeper who is a member of the Sheffield Asian Hornet Action Group, echoed his calls.
“I think there is some evidence that our friends and colleagues down south are doing a terrific job, and the work they all did down there last year is paying dividends,” he said.
“It's on the front line down in Kent and Sussex and Hampshire that people are going to have to be very alert and have a continuing programme. If they ever slack off they will come North very quickly I'm afraid.
“I think in the next 20 or 30 years its very likely they will be established uk wide, because eventually people will drop their guard.
"I think the government needs to resource the ministry of agriculture specialist teams really well. Every bee inspector in England was rushed into the south east last year, but I think it would be useful if more money was given to make sure the full complement of bee inspectors are available in all the counties.
"Sufficient bee inspector resources supplied by Defra are certainly critical to the whole thing."
A spokesperson for the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the Government agency responsible for protecting against the Asian Hornet, said: “Asian hornets cause significant damage to native pollinators.
“That’s why our National Bee Unit continues to take swift and effective action to stamp out the threat posed by Asian hornets, including attending every credible sighting and destroying all 23 nests found this year.
“We encourage the public to remain vigilant and continue to report sightings to the Asian Hornet Watch app or online.”
Smaller than native hornets, Asian hornets are identifiable through their orange head and almost entirely dark abdomen, which also displays fine yellow stripes and a yellow or orange segment near its base. The species also has a black or brown thorax with yellow-tipped legs.
Sightings of the Asian hornet can be reported through the Asian Hornet Watch app or by emailing the National Bee Unit.
