The Asian hornet has officially arrived in Austria. A specimen was captured in a Salzburg clinic and clearly identified as “Vespa velutina”, as it is known in technical language. The fact that the Southeast Asian hornet species prefers to hunt honey bees is a source of great concern to local beekeepers. Damage is also feared in fruit and wine growing.
“The fight is therefore of great importance,” said Josef Moosbrugger, President of the Austrian Chamber of Agriculture, yesterday. Monitoring was therefore started together with the umbrella organization Bee Austria. Anyone who suspects a “Velutina” or entire nests should report their observation at bienengesundheit.at.
The Asian hornet may have arrived in France by sea 20 years ago and gradually spread to large parts of Europe. It has been on the EU’s list of “unwanted species” since 2016. The “Vespa velutina” detected in Salzburg is probably a queen without an established nest. It is currently being checked whether she has been mated.
- HONEY 1: Asian hornet threatens native bees
There is a danger for the native bees if the Asian hornets manage to successfully establish nests. “Then we have an acute problem,” said Salzburg state beekeeper Thomas Renner. Where the pest cannot be dealt with successfully, beekeeping will come to a standstill, warned Renner. The “Velutina” is no more dangerous for the civilian population than the native species. If you come across nests, you should not clear them away. The individual animals should not be caught or killed, it was said.
How to recognize a Velutina
In contrast to the European hornet, the Asian hornet does not have a reddish-brown top of the head, but rather a black one. The black legs and yellow tips are also striking. Nests with a diameter of up to 60 centimeters with a side exit in high trees are also characteristic. The colony consists of 6,000 hornets, with only the queens overwintering.
Esther Ockermüller from the Biology Diversity Center Linz estimates that “Velutinas” feed around half on honey bees. Domestic hornets, on the other hand, would not specifically attack honey bees.
