Bees in danger and Asian giant hornet

Lately there has been much talk of the worrying decimation of numerous hives due to the arrival of a very aggressive wasp, especially in the areas of North America : the wasp mandarinia . This particular insect has aroused much concern in beekeepers and biologists all over the world as a particular aggression has been noted especially towards bees .

Origin of the Asian hornet

The mandarinia wasp , not to be confused with the velutina wasp, is a very large and very aggressive insect. The size is so large that the insect has taken the name of "Asian giant hornet".

The wasp has been spotted mainly in the United States, more specifically, in the state of Washington. The presence of this species is currently alarming biologists and beekeepers all over the world, due to its habit of devastating the bee population. Although its presence has been recorded mainly in North America, the insect has a very different origin.

The origins of the wasp and its provenance can be attributed to the Asian continent, more precisely to Japan. This is a considerable danger for bees which cannot survive numerous attacks. What biologists have not failed to notice is the way in which the predator kills the bees . During the spring, the giant hornet comes out of hibernation and takes care of the creation of new colonies . The wasp usually lays its eggs underground and when it needs to get food, it goes outside. To take care of the survival of its species, the killer wasp, it attacks bees by destroying entire hives.

Lots of bees have had the same fate. In fact, beekeepers have had to face numerous losses. Hundreds of bees have been found dead due to the attack of the hornet which operates by killing its prey by decapitating them.

Why bees are killed

After careful observation by biologists, it was understood that the giant hornet or mandarin wasp attacks hives for a very specific purpose: nutrition.

The period in which killer wasps are particularly aggressive is during the end of summer and early autumn. The period coincides with the search for food for the queen of the colony. In fact, during this period the wasp moves in search of proteins for its queen. The mandarinia wasp feeds on the larvae present in the real cells but also on the larvae present in smaller cells. The bees defend the hive with all their strength and this leads to a mass extermination in which the swarm is decimated very quickly. The males of the bee on the other hand, not having a sting , cannot even try to defend themselves. What comes out is a real massacre.

The wasp in fact kills all the bees that she finds on her path, in this way she can gorge undisturbed on all the larvae present in the cells and provide necessary food also to her queen.

Danger to bees and humans

With its 50 mm of build, the mandarin wasp more; prove to be dangerous even for humans. The sting is very painful and its sting can reach a considerable size (up to 6 mm). Obviously, at the time of the sting, a significant dose of poison is also released which can be fatal in allergic subjects and cause extensive and generalized inflammation even in non-allergic subjects.

Bees and wasps in Italy

Numerous episodes related to the mandarinia wasp have been reported in Italy. What the studies revealed, however, is that the presence of the Asian giant hornet in Italy has not yet been recorded.

However, the presence of other hornets has been found which in any case constitute a significant danger for bees and for the entire ecosystem. The presence of insects from other areas of the world can create significant problems within an environment. The balance of ecosystems depends precisely on the functioning mechanisms of native species.

The aggressiveness of the mandarinia wasp could lead, over time, to the disappearance of thousands of hives belonging to honey bees or honey bees, but for now this is not the case in Italy. In America, beekeepers are setting up numerous traps to deal with this biological emergency. For now, the traps seem to have paid off. It is believed that the species has invaded the areas of North America through the trade sector and therefore the freight transport. Of course it is always important to create a mapping to keep the phenomenon at bay.

Italian beekeepers and recommendations

In Italy, for example, there have been many reports from beekeepers about the presence of another species: the wasp velutina. In this case it is a very different species from the Asian giant hornet, the wasp reaches about 35 mm and is characterized by a typical predominantly black color. Again the wasp attacks the bees. In fact, there are many cases registered in Liguria, Piedmont and Tuscany.

To tackle the problem, beekeepers are trying to carefully observe the phenomenon, also involving numerous Italian scholars and biologists.

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