Asian hornets living in the United Kingdom can "wreak havoc" to the ecosystem if they become established, a bug expert has warned, as they are notorious for eating other insects.

Asian hornets living in the United Kingdom can "wreak havoc" to the ecosystem if they become established, a bug expert has warned, as they are notorious for eating other insects. Paul Hetherington, director of communications and engagement at Buglife charity, cautioned about the presence of Asian hornets, who can eat up to 50 honeybees a day, after the earliest UK sighting on March 11. Asian hornets are flying insects that measure around 25 millimetres in length. However, their queens are around 30 mm long. They have black abdomens. The yellow ends of their legs distinguish them from European hornets. They eat several insects, including honeybees and bumblebees. According to Hetherington, they were first spotted in the UK in 2016. He told Sky News, "An adult Asian hornet can eat roughly 50 honeybees a day - that transpires to an entire nest of bumblebees for one hornet. So imagine! What a nest of Asian hornets could be doing to our population of bees. They could have a catastrophic impact on bees because they've come in from abroad. There are not a lot of things that are going to predate them in this country. So it's very, very worrying." ALSO READ | Microplastics found in soil dating back to ancient times in shocking discovery He informed at least 14 Asian hornets' nests had been destroyed across August, September and October last year. Hetherington expressed his concerns over the presence of hornets in southern England, where some of the UK's rarest bumblebees exist. "It'd be quite easy for them to have a devastating impact on populations like that," he said. Furthermore, he called the presence of Asian hornets "absolutely catastrophic" for consumers as they eat bees, which pollinate several crops. Hetherington said, "If we lost all our pollinators, it would put about £2bn a year on our food bill for selective foods like fruit and peas because we'd have to pay people the minimum to go out and hand-pollinate. The knock-on effect for consumers in this country alone would be absolutely catastrophic if they get established and wreak havoc." However, keeping these flying insects out of the UK is difficult as they have already established themselves in Northern France. In 2004, Asian hornets, which are originally from Asia, were sighted in Europe for the first time in southwest France. It is believed that they were transported along with a shipment of pottery from China. Currently, these hornets are known to be present in Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Jersey. (With inputs from agencies)

Asian hornets can be "absolutely catastrophic" for consumers in UK, says bug expert

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Asian hornets can be "absolutely catastrophic" for consumers in UK, says bug expert