The Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) is spreading at an alarming rate in Europe, as several local institutions have recently reported. The insect was first sighted in France in 2015, and its spread is increasingly threatening biodiversity and agriculture in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Hungary. In Austria, the first case was documented on April 9, 2024, in the city of Salzburg. The threat posed by the Asian hornet to native honeybees is particularly worrying. The invasive species specifically hunts honey bees—and does so in a ruthless manner, lurking in…
Read MoreMore and more warnings: How dangerous is the Asian hornet really?
