Mio Dio! Hornets have taken over Rome, causing serious injuries and even death

Rome, just like Paris, is synonymous with all things cultural, steeped in history. A Roman holiday may well be on the top of amorous couples' travel wishlist. But the residents of the city are dealing with a problem that was not present as they freely roamed around their own city.

Hornets! Big ones! And non-native.

The Guardian reported an incident where a man dining on his friend's terrace encountered a swarm of these hornets. And despite the valiant efforts of his friends to ward off or kill the bees, one bit him and hurt his leg to the extent that he had to use crutches to walk.

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Media reports say that the numbers of Vespa orientalis, an oriental hornet usually found in Africa and Southeast Asia, are growing in the Italian capital.

The reddish-brown hornet was reportedly first detected in Monteverde district of Rome in the year 2021. This was the first time these hornets were spotted since 1950s.

After 2021, the hornets have seemingly invaded the centre of the city and in addition to windows and air conditioning units, the insects are building nests in the crevices of ancient monuments as well.

The city has not come up with an official plan yet to tackle the growing problem. And this has led to increased demand for people who can remove these nests.

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Andrea Lunerti, a zoologist and now well-known wasp-buster is witness to this.

“I am receiving so many calls at the moment, from everywhere,” Lunerti told The Guardian.

“People are seeing these big insects flying around – and the nests are huge, sometimes containing between 700 and 1,000.”

The problem is serious. Last week a window cleaner died after falling off his ladder as a hornet swarm attacked him.

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The rising temperatures are probably allowing these hornets to thrive. And also, Rome's perennial problem with waste disposal isn't helping.

“Rome is a very dirty city with the worst management of urban waste – there are open bins everywhere,”Lunerti said.

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