Comparatively small but aggressive: The Asian hornet is spreading in Germany and is also threatening bees. Saxony’s beekeepers are therefore the target group for a workshop that the State Foundation for Nature and Environment (Lanu) and the State Office for the Environment, Geology and Agriculture are organizing on Thursday in Dresden. As Lanu spokesman Tomas Brückmann announced, there has so far only been one suspected case of the emergence of the invasive species in Saxony.
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The workshop is primarily about the ecology and lifestyle of the Asian hornet. In addition, legal principles and the current approach in Saxony are discussed. The focus is on the health of the bees, it was said. An experience report from Hamburg, where the Asian hornet is already found, rounds off the workshop.
Asian hornet is spreading in Germany
According to the state foundation, the hornet, which is actually native to Southeast Asia, is spreading rapidly in Germany. She can also be expected in Saxony. “It is important to recognize occurrences of the invasive species early and to have them combated by designated people. This is the only way to slow down its spread,” it said.
According to the information, the Asian hornet forms very large colonies with up to 10,000 individuals. A colony needs around 11.3 kilograms of prey insects per year. This means that impacts on native insects are possible. Hornets needed protein-rich food for their larvae, such as bees and houseflies. In urban habitats, honey bees can make up up to two-thirds of the diet of Asian hornets.
This is how you recognize the Asian hornet
The Asian hornet is smaller than its European relative, but more aggressive. It is also a little darker. She ambushes bees on her hive and kills them in flight. It is originally at home in Southeast Asia, but was probably introduced to Europe via imported goods. In Germany, according to the German Nature Conservation Association (Nabu), it was first detected near Karlsruhe in 2014.
Comparatively small but aggressive: The Asian hornet is spreading in Germany and is also threatening bees. Saxony’s beekeepers are therefore the target group for a workshop that the State Foundation for Nature and Environment (Lanu) and the State Office for the Environment, Geology and Agriculture are organizing on Thursday in Dresden. As Lanu spokesman Tomas Brückmann announced, there has so far only been one suspected case of the emergence of the invasive species in Saxony.
The workshop is primarily about the ecology and lifestyle of the Asian hornet. In addition, legal principles and the current approach in Saxony are discussed. The focus is on the health of the bees, it was said. An experience report from Hamburg, where the Asian hornet is already found, rounds off the workshop.
