Asian hornet eats bees Is Swiss honey in danger?
Attention, attention, dear bees: The Asian hornet has been detected in Switzerland. This is a great danger for bees. They are eaten by the hornet.
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- The Asian hornet has been discovered in two Swiss municipalities and poses a threat to bee colonies.
- Many beekeepers do not currently see the hornet as the main problem, but the situation still needs to be monitored.
- Poor weather conditions in spring also led to a lower honey harvest as the bees were less active.
Will we soon have no more honey? The Asian hornet has been discovered in two Swiss municipalities. It is a bee-eater. But it's not just hornets that make life difficult for bees. Weather, lice and beetles are destroying bee colonies all over Switzerland.
With a maximum length of 3.2 centimetres, the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) is smaller than the European hornet and differs mainly in its dark appearance. While the body of the European hornet is yellow and the head is brown-red, the Asian hornet is predominantly black. If it appears near a beehive, it poses a great danger to the honey bees. In order to supply its brood with protein, it hunts mainly bees and even catches its prey in flight.
Two nests of this hornet were recently discovered in the canton of Zurich and destroyed in Rafz and Illnau in August. Local beekeepers are more surprised than concerned. Heidi Meyer, who runs a beekeeping business in Wil ZH, and Edy Ebenwaldner from Illnau have never seen an Asian hornet or heard of its presence, as they tell the "Landbote".
Ebenwaldner has heard about the new predator: "But I haven't taken any major precautions yet." They have more experience with other bee enemies. "A few years ago, we were warned about the small hive beetle, which comes to us from Italy, lays eggs in the hive and eats brood, pollen and honey after hatching - but we haven't heard anything more about this pest since then."
Bees must be protected from the hornet
Weak bee colonies in particular are at risk, as healthy and strong colonies can fend off attacks. Heidi Meyer, who also works as a breeding and business consultant, has studied the Asian hornet in more detail: "It will be almost impossible to stop. The best protection against it is bee health." Experience from France shows that only colonies that are already weak can be wiped out by the Asian hornet.
Beat Jörger, President of the Horgen Beekeepers' Association, also believes that additional protective measures are only necessary in the fall, when the colonies are getting smaller. He advises reducing the size of the entrance hole to the bees' nest to prevent hornets from entering.
The honey harvest was poor this year
For many beekeepers, however, it is not the Asian hornet that is the main problem, but so-called melezitosis honey, also known as cement honey. This occurs when honey contains a high proportion of the triple sugar melezitose and hardens in the honeycomb. The problem is particularly pronounced in forests with spruce trees, as the spruce whisk scale insect excretes honeydew, which the bees collect. This year, this problem severely affected the honey harvest.
In addition, many beekeepers had to contend with the poor weather conditions in spring. This meant that the bees flew around less and hid in their nests. The result: a below-average honey harvest, with some beekeepers only managing to collect a third of their usual quantity.