Basingstoke under siege from killer Asian hornets

"Just one of the predatory hornets can eat up to 50 honeybees in a single day. Their sting is not only 'incredibly painful' but they have also caused fatalities in the continent."

"The hornets are quite literally hitching lifts on cars and vans up the M3 into Basingstoke. There's a huge spike of these nasty, nasty creatures arriving in south Hampshire, and we are expecting all hell to break loose."

"A third of the food we eat is pollinated by honeybees - they pollinate our fruit trees, apple trees, cherry trees, all stone fruit. Whilst these creatures eat 11 kilograms of insect flesh, 30 per cent of that is honey bees."

Asian hornets, an invasive species first spotted in the UK in 2016, are rapidly spreading through southern England, particularly toward Basingstoke via the M3 motorway. These yellow-legged predators hitchhike in vehicles traveling from southern cities like Portsmouth and Southampton. Having successfully overwintered in the UK and established bases in the Channel Islands, the hornets pose significant threats to native honeybees and broader biodiversity. A single hornet can consume up to 50 honeybees daily. Beyond ecological damage, their stings are extremely painful and have caused fatalities in Europe. Beekeepers warn of serious consequences for agriculture, as honeybees pollinate approximately one-third of human food sources, including fruit and stone fruit trees.

Read at Mail Online