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Scientists are working to fight an invasion of Asian hornets – after one of the buzzing predators was spotted in Lancashire.
Tiny electronic trackers enough to attach to a flying insect are the last weapon used to repel the
By marking the buzzing predators with the gears, the scientists were able to chase them up to their hidden nests.
Once found, the nests and hornets that they contain can be destroyed – continue to pollinate in peace
Beekeepers seriously worry about the Asian hornet, already well established in France and reported for the first time in the UK in 2016.
Hornets attack bees, hovering like attack helicopters
Bees are dismembered before being brought back to nest of hornets to be fed to the larvae.
In the new offensive against hornets, scientists The experts who test the tracking technique in the south of France and Jersey have discovered five hitherto unknown nests.
The experts hope that the research, funded by the Defra agency, will reverse the situation.
Dr. Peter Kennedy, who headed the team at Exeter University, said, "Our new tracking method offers a new tool very important to fight against the spread of this invader. an effective way to find hornet nests in urban, rural and wooded environments. "
The radio tags, made by the British company Biotrack Ltd, weigh 0.2g and are attached to the hornet's body by sewing thread.
Powered by a minute stack, they transmit a signal that can be followed wherever the insect flies.
Asian hornets are accidentally brought to the Fr in 1965, probably in a cargo of imported goods
Since then, dark brown and orange insects have spread rapidly throughout France and have begun to invade neighboring countries.They are also established in the Channel Islands.
Nicola Spence, deputy director of Defra for Plant and Bee Health, said: to Asian hornets when the sightings are confirmed, and in the future the bee inspectors will be able to use this technique to act quickly . "
Professor Juliet Osborne, another member of the Exeter University team whose findings appear in the journal Communications Biology, said:" It is vital to find early nests in the season to prevent the spread of the hornet, as later in the year, hundreds of new queens emerge and disperse from each nest, each with the potential to make new nests. "
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