An Asian hornet nest was found in Palarikow, Slovakia. They were tracked in record time thanks to the cooperation of domestic and foreign experts. The nest was located at an altitude of 20 meters, which complicated its removal.
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The first Asian hornet nest in Slovakia was found in three days. This is definitely a better result than the one achieved by Hungary last year. Budapest searched for him for two months.
Finding the nest was possible thanks to a combination of several techniques – primarily telemetry, i.e. tracking the flight path, using tags stuck on already captured Asian hornets, and ending with a drone.
The found nest was about 80 cm in size and could contain 2,000 people. individuals, of which 500 are queens. After spring mating, each individual can lay up to 15,000. eggs.
They are not adults yet, they usually fly out in November or December, depending on the current weather. Now is the optimal time to dispose of them, said Peter Fedor, an entomologist from Comenius University in Bratislava, quoted by Noviny.sk.
The disposal took place at night because that is when the individuals arrive at the nest. Due to the height of the nest – 20 meters – ladders and telescopic poles had to be used. Using special tubes, a substance was applied to the nest to eliminate hornets in the nest. The entire process was a success.
For now, the only possible option is to suppress the invasive species.
We will not eliminate the population in the next few years, we will get used to the presence of this hornet here and we will only improve methods that will allow us to mitigate the effects, Fedor said.
The Asian hornet first appeared in Europe 20 years ago in the port of Bordeaux. In France, this species quickly established itself and began to spread at an enormous pace, increasing its range by approximately 100 km every year. Its presence has already been detected, among others, in Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Italy and Western Germany.
A single sting from an Asian hornet can result in death for a person allergic to the venom. However, even a healthy person bitten several times by such an insect can die from the effects of a neurotoxin called mandarotoxin (MTDX).
Their stingers are so sharp that they can pierce fabric. Therefore, under no circumstances can you approach them unless you are wearing a special suit. These insects destroy bee swarms, which causes their population to decline rapidly.
Hornets become most aggressive in late summer and early fall. They then hunt for a source of protein for their queens.
Asian hornets have not yet been observed in Poland, but their appearance is more and more likely due to ongoing climate change.
