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BEE AFRAID!
Britain set for ‘plague’ of deadly Asian hornets this year, as numbers soar by 3,000 per cent
The British Beekeepers Association is relying on the public to help identify the insects that pose a horrific danger
BRITAIN was stung by a 3,800 per cent rise in deadly Asian hornets last year, The Sun on Sunday can reveal.
And experts are predicting a plague of the killer insects sweeping the country in 2024.
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The hornets, which can demolish bee hives in a matter of hours and kill humans in rampaging swarms, were spotted here just twice in 2022. But that rose to 78 times in 2023.
Now, the British Beekeepers Association has exclusively told The Sun on Sunday that four sightings have happened already this year, months before the hornets normally surface.
Kent-based beekeeper Simon Spratley lost 15 of his 17 hives to the hornets last year.
He said: “In my 13 years as a beekeeper, I’ve never been more frightened.
READ MORE ON ASIAN HORNETS
“The average nest of Asian hornets produces up to 800 queens a year, around 90 per cent of which die with a typical winter.
“But because we’ve only had one night below -5C this winter, up to 90 per cent will survive.
“If you go within 50 metres, they become hyper aggressive and will come out as a swarm of thousands to ward you off.
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“They have 6mm stingers which can strike repeatedly, and once you’ve been stung it releases a pheromone that drives them all crazy to kill. You won’t be able to outrun them.”
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A single hornet can devour 50 honey bees at a time, ripping their heads off and sucking out their innards to feed to their young.
The BBKA is urging the public to report any sightings through its Asian Hornet Watch app, available on iPhone and Android.
Ian said: “We’re relying on the public to help control numbers as best we can.
“It’s very important to distinguish between the smaller Asian hornet and the larger, native European hornet.”
To tell them apart, Asian hornets have dark abdomens with fine orange stripes and measure around 25mm in length, while European hornets have yellow abdomens and are typically 30-35mm long.