Scientists identify sound of hovering hornets in move to protect honeybees

SCIENTISTS have found ways to remotely detect the sound of invasive Asian hornets hovering outside beehives in a move that could protect honeybees.

- By EMILY BEAMENT, PA Environment Correspondent

The Asian or yellow-legged hornet is a non-native predator that feeds on honeybees, hovering around the entrance of a hive for long periods until a bee is caught and eaten.

The presence of the hornet, which can kill 50 bees a day, puts stress on the honeybees which leave the hive less to forage, reducing their food stores for winter and threatening the colony's survival.

The Asian hornet is native to South East Asia and arrived in France in a cargo of pottery from China about 20 years ago, spreading rapidly across the continent, and devastating colonies in France and Italy.

It was first seen in the UK in 2016, and there have been regular sightings since, including 44 confirmed in 2024 - including Folkestone and Dover, although a rapid response approach to destroy hornets and nests has stopped its spread in Britain.