Killer hornets from China that eat up to 50 bees a DAY are the latest threat to Britain’s hive

Killer hornets from China that eat up to 50 bees a DAY are the latest threat to Britain’s hive

Mangalore Today News Network

China, May 05, 2014: Killer hornets that can eat up to 50 honey bees each a day are the latest threats to Britain’s hives.

Government scientists are drawing up a rapid response plan to combat the arrival of the deadly Asian hornet on our shores.

Originally from China, the insects have already spread as far as France, where six people have died from anaphylactic shock after being stung.

 

Swarms of the hornets are capable of wiping out entire honey bee hives within hours.

Scientists at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) now fear the hornets will cross the Channel in consignments of imported wood, fruit or flowers.

Beekeepers have been sent alerts warning them to be on the lookout, according to the Sunday Times.

People who find the hornets are urged not to approach their nests but to contact the authorities.

 

Exterminators will be deployed to destroy their nests, normally found high in tees or in buildings, with chemicals or by burning them.

Britain’s bees are already under unprecedented threat.

There are now just 25 native species and numbers may be as low as 50,000 at the height of summer.

They are vital to pollinate crops, providing a critical link in the food chain.